The discharge of an Italy-returned Hoshiarpur man from a hospital here after being cured and found negative for the coronavirus infection has triggered a spat between two medical authorities of the district.
The middle-aged man, who was the first to have been tested positive for the coronavirus in Punjab, was discharged from the isolation ward of the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital after he was found negative.
Amritsar Civil Surgeon, Dr Prabhdeep Kaur Johal, however, on Friday said Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) has discharged the patient without our knowledge."
Patient should have been handed over to the IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme) department of his native Hoshiarpur district for further follow up. Today we informed the district administration of Hoshiarpur, she said.
Guru Nanak Dev Hospital is being run by the Government Medical College Amritsar and Principal Government Medical College is the senior most person to look after the affairs of GNDH.
On being contacted medical college principal, Dr Sujata Sharma said, I am not answerable to Civil Surgeon."
"Moreover, we have our own IDSP department which was informed accordingly. The head of the isolation ward has informed the various departments about the discharge of the patient including civil Surgeon in routine, she added.
Sharma said, When patient was found fit to be discharged, he was handed over to his family members on Thursday evening and it is not mandatory to inform the civil surgeon before reliving him. They were simply sent information in routine, she quipped.
The middle aged man was earlier this month admitted in the Guru Nanak Dev Hospital where he had shown good response to the treatment.
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