All the 27 employees of kidney care clinic Nephron in the capital, where the 58-year-old Covid-19 woman patient was given dialysis on April 4, a couple of days before her infection was confirmed, tested negative at RIMS.

The employees were taken for a test on April 7, a day after the lady taken for dialysis at the clinic was tested positive.

The clinic was closed as a preventive measure.

Indian Medical Association secretary (Jharkhand chapter) Pradeep Kumar said the report came on Friday.

The clinic is run by noted nephrologist Dr Ashok Kumar Baidya, who is also in home quarantine.

Ranchi civil surgeon Dr Vijay Bihari Prasad said: “Though the staff were tested negative they will remain in quarantine for 14 days as the symptoms of coronavirus develop between five to 14 days from exposure. They will be tested again before coming out of the quarantine.”

The novel coronavirus has come as a big challenge for doctors and their employees in the capital as they realise that even a minor mistake under their watch can help spread the infection.

Due to this fear, most of the doctors have stopped treating patients unless the cases are extremely urgent.

Dr Anant Sinha, director of Dev Kamal Hospital in the capital, told The Telegraph: “Patient intake has reduced to 20 percent due to the ongoing lockdown.”

An official from RIMS, the state’s largest government-run hospital which is now also the biggest Covid-19 treatment centre, said: “Unlike other days when the patient figure used to touch over 1,000 present figures of patients has reduced to 400.”