ES Newsdesk 

ITANAGAR, Jul 7: A close relative of the seven-month-old infant who according to  North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) died of COVID-19 on Monday at Shillong has expressed shock over the baby testing positive for the virus and has called for contact tracing of medical healthcare staff of the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) Naharlagun where the infant was being treated before being referred.
On Monday, on various media platforms, it was reported that the child died of COVID-19, however, the relative who didn't want to be named said the infant's parents tested negative so medical attendants at TRIHMS might have transmitted the virus to the ailing child.
In a phone conversation with this daily, he said he was in constant contact with the parents since the infant was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (abdomen pulmonary).
"He was my brother's child and was ill since February and was sent to TRIHMS and from there to NEIGRIHMS for further treatment," he said.
He said the child was under treatment before the lockdown was announced and after his condition improved a little he was discharged from NEIGRIHMS with advice to seek continual counseling every month.
"The whole family remained at home with the child in Seppa for almost 3 months without any issue. Due to the prolonged lockdown and restrictions imposed on interstate journey, a doctor at TRIHMS was engaged to take care of the child under the active guidance of the doctor from NEIGRIHMS who treated the child," he revealed.
But as the child again developed complications after almost 3 months, he was brought to the doctor at TRIHMS on July 2, who further referred the child at NEIGRIHMS for better treatment. The child was brought to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong on July 6 where he tested positive for Covid-19 and died later in the evening.
"If the child died of COVID-19 as claimed by NEIGRIHMS, then the virus must have been transferred to the child through his medical attendant or doctors at TRIHMS or there is a fault in the report of NEIGRIHMS," he said.
Clarifying that he is not questioning anyone, he suggested that the contact tracing of doctors should be conducted.
According to relatives, the parents of the infant are currently kept at the state quarantine center at Lekhi.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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