Around 17 newborns in the sick care unit (SNCU) at the district hospital in Howrah, hotspot zone of Covid-19 recording the highest number of 62 coronavirus patients till Saturday across the state, may have contracted the killer viral infections landing the state health department in deep trouble.

All these newborns had come close in contact with a nurse who used to attend to them in the SNCU at the district hospital till the middle of last week. The nurse whose swab sample was tested COVID- 19 positive in the laboratory was admitted to one of the four hospitals earmarked for coronavirus treatment in the district.

Fearing novel coronavirus infections among these newborns the district health administration has shifted them to the SNCU of the state-run Uluberia sub-divisional (SD) hospital on a war footing. “All these babies were shifted to the SNCU at Uluberia SD Hospital a few days ago, and they are now under close clinical observations.

We may send swab samples if anyone of them shows Covid-19-like symptoms to the concerned laboratory for coronavirus confirmatory test,” Dr Bhabani Das, chief medical officer of health (CMOH) in Howrah told The Statesman.

“The nurse who was tested Covid positive has been admitted to a hospital earmarked for coronavirus treatment in Howrah,” the CMOH said. “All the babies have been brought to the SNCU in our hospital, and our doctors are constantly monitoring their health condition,” Dr Sudip Kanrar, superintendent of the Uluberia SD Hospital, said.

Sources in the Howrah district health administration noted that the district hospital seemed like an epicentre of coronavirus with regular reports of infected doctors, nurses and other support staff of the hospital. The first Covid death case in Howrah was reported at the district hospital about two weeks ago.

After that, about eight people ~ two doctors, including the superintendent, nurses and other non-medical staff, got affected with the virus one after other making people panic. The health administration had decided to suspend healthcare services restricting admission of new cases for sanitisation work in the entire hospital complex.

However, the shifting of the 17 babies to the Uluberia SD Hospital may also create another hazard to the babies undergoing treatment in the nursery unit and SNCU respectively at the hospital, some doctors felt.

One of them alleged that the district wing of the mother and child health in Howrah did not inform the Uluberia SD Hospital authorities about the concerned nurse, who used to attend to the 17 infants at the district hospital SNCU, was a coronavirus carrier.