Congress Lok Sabha MP Vincent H
Pala on Tuesday urged Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to quarantine all patient and staff of Bethany Hospital at government-run Pinewood hotel here instead of locking them at the hospital.
The Bethany hospital here was sealed on Monday night and converted into a quarantine centre after a senior doctor of the health facility with no recent travel history tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. All patients and staff were told to stay at the hospital.
Pala, also a former Union minister said locking patients, all staff and doctors at the hospital is "suicidal" and urged the chief minister to quarantine them at the government-run Pinewood hotel here.
The state government on Tuesday instructed Bethany Hospital to shut both its branches here in the state capital and in Nongpoh in Ri-Bhoi district - and all staff are to mandatorily stay under quarantine.
"Please see the story of Diamond Princess Cruise and it was the biggest blunder by not allowing them to come out. All patients should be taken out, tested and quarantine them," Pala said, in a WhatsApp message to Conrad K Sangma and chief secretary M S Rao.
A 26-year-old man on Tuesday jumped to death from the window of the Bethany Hospital here.
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"The patient was admitted on March 30 for substance abuse and he was admitted for rehabilitation," the chief minister said.
He said the suicide was related to withdrawal symptoms and psychiatric problems but not corona related.
Palas residence is about 100 meters away from the Bethany Hospital here.
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