The All India Institute of Medical Sciences Bhubaneswar on Thursday announced a shutdown of its Out Patient Department from Friday for an indefinite period following staff crunch and increase in coronavirus positive cases among its employees.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar director Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane said: “With the increase in the number of patients and staff testing positive in our hospital as well as the fact that many of our staff members are having to go into quarantine as they have come in close contact of infected persons we have decided to close down the OPD.”

In a letter to the institute’s governing board members, she said: “Some areas (like Sijua where AIIMS is located) are under containment which means that many of our staff are unable to report for duty. We must take measures to consolidate the manpower and use our resources optimally. In order to do so, we have decided to close the OPD from Friday.”

Sources said around 30 AIIMS staff, including seven doctors, have already been tested positive for Covid. The director said: “Services like day care service (cancer chemo), radiotherapy dialysis, trauma and emergency (casualty), emergency and life saving surgery (only trauma, emergency and life saving surgery) will be available.”

AIIMS has also made it clear that the telemedicine and teleconsultation services will be available. On Thursday afternoon, the director launched an app — AIIMS Bhubaneswar Swasthya — to this effect. “All patients with online registrations will be contacted by the respective departments and their treatment will be done through teleconsultations,” the director said.