Coronavirus: private clinic suspends operation of maternity ward

A private clinic had to suspend the operation of its maternity ward after ten health professionals and patients tested positive for coronavirus, the inspector of private hospitals Elli Theodorou told the Cyprus Mail on Tuesday.

The first cases were reported among health professionals on the ward on January 12 and the hospital suspended the operations of the whole ward on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, anonymous reports from two mothers treated at the ward who later tested positive claimed the hospital did not inform them of the positive cases. The reports, highlighted by Alphanews, said the new-borns and fathers were also infected.

According to the inspector, who is in charge of the contact tracing for private hospitals, all the protocols were followed, and a letter was sent to the clinic with instructions.

People that are considered high risk are those who were exposed to the virus without protective equipment and are immediately sent home to self-isolate. They have to undertake a PCR test in seven days.

Those belonging to the medium risk category keep going to work and monitor their symptoms.

“Meanwhile, on Thursday night we were informed that there are probably more positive cases, including one patient,” Theodorou added.

Citing the health protocol that needs to be followed in such cases, the inspector said that all patients should have undergone a PCR test prior to their release as well as those who were to stay at the hospital.

But both mothers alleged they presented symptoms and had to undertake a test after their release from the ward.

According to Theodorou “it was the responsibility of the hospital and the doctor treating those patients to inform them.”

The doctor in charge of the hospital told the inspector in a telephone conversation that they had communicated with the doctors on the ward and instructed them to inform their patients about the possible infection.

“The ward is currently closed and will operate again only once all the staff test negative for coronavirus,” Theodorou said.

Four inspectors make up the team in charge of the check of 75 private hospitals nationwide. They perform two or three checks at every hospital per year, but “we had some delays due to the pandemic as they need to undertake Covid tests every time,” Theodorou said.

The team had to manage another 142 similar cases of infection in private hospitals since the pandemic outbreak.