8 patients and 44 staffers of Yerawada mental hospital test Covid positive

Another two quarantine wards have been set up for patients who are newly admitted to the hospital.

Dr Abhijit Phadnis, medical superintendent at the Regional Mental Hospital, said, “We have patients seeking treatment from 12 districts of Maharashtra including eight of Marathwada like Latur, Beed, Parbhani, Aurangabad and others. From Western Maharashtra districts like Satara Ahmednagar, Solapur too there are patients seeking admission at the hospital.”

New patients will have to, initially, stay in the quarantine ward before being allowed to interact with others. Social distancing is a challenge with mentally ill patients at the hospital, Dr Phadnis said. Presently there are 1,107 patients admitted to the hospital which has a staff strength of 650.