Zero Covid patients at Chennai's RGGGH for first time

Chennai: The Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital that remained flooded with Covid patients since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, had zero COVID patients on Tuesday. The hospital has had zero cases for the first time since the pandemic hit the country.

"We have had one or two cases a day since last one month as the cases had declined. While most of the cases were treated easily, the ones who had comorbidities and not vaccinated, reported symptoms," said Dr E Theranirajan, dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Tuesday.

He added that a very few unvaccinated patient showed symptoms of respiratory infection and illness and required Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) to overcome the breathlessness. Talking about the deaths due to Covid, he said that less number of deaths due to the infection was recorded in third wave and last death recorded at the hospital was an elderly patient who succumbed to the infection after prolonged illness two days ago at the hospital.

The hospital has seen a steep decline in the cases since March and stood at nil cases on Tuesday. However, the hospital authorities are prepared to handle the situation in case of an outbreak in future. "We have not dismantled the beds and wards created for Covid wards in the third block of the hospital. Meanwhile, the out patient blocks are being used for regular non-Covid services," said Dr Theranirajan.