Doctor a ‘heroine’ for averting major outbreak in SA
Dr Dharminy Thurairatnam, of the Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide, has been praised for her efforts in helping contain community transmission
A junior doctor in Adelaide is being applauded as a “heroine” for averting a full-blown COVID-19 outbreak in SA.
A diligent Dr Dharminy Thurairatnam ensured a woman with a mild cough was swabbed for coronavirus, despite SA at that time having had no community transmission since April.
Her actions allowed health authorities to quickly identify the community-based outbreak that led to a six-day lockdown. This was lifted early, in part because it was rapidly contained.
The 81-year-old woman had presented to the ED of Lyell McEwin Hospital, in Adelaide’s northern suburbs on 13 November, complaining of weakness, when Dr Thurairatnam picked up on her “slight cough” and ordered a swab.
