15 test positive in 24 hrs as state sees 4th death due to COVID-19.. 3 recovered

MP | 31 March 2020 | Kolkata: Bengal reported its 4th COVID-19 death at Howrah State General Hospital, after a 48-year-old woman succumbed to her ailments on Monday, a day before the Health department confirmed that she had tested positive for the virus. Meanwhile, swab test report of a middle aged man who died at the NRS Medical College and Hospital earlier after being admitted to the hospital with various complications, also came as positive on Tuesday.

Senior Health department officials have ordered a probe as the patient was admitted to the general ward with suspected symptoms and allegedly kept there for nearly five hours before being finally shifted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU).

The family members of the deceased have brought charges of glaring negligence against the hospital authorities as the patient had been kept at a CCU meant for normal patients, despite having a separate isolation ward. The family members also alleged that the isolation ward set up for the Corona suspected patients remained locked up and was therefore not utilised.

As the matter was brought to the notice of the Health department, a probe has been initiated to find out if there was any negligence by the hospital authorities. Some of the nursing staff members of the hospital alleged that many of them were exposed to the patient. All the treating doctors, nursing staff and health workers have been put under quarantine.

The victim, a resident of Salkia in Howrah, had no history of visiting abroad. She had, however, visited Dooars in North Bengal along with three of her family members recently. All her family members have been kept under home quarantine. They returned home on March 21. The patient was admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms on last Sunday and her samples were sent for testing on Monday. She died on Monday night, while the report came in on Tuesday morning. A section of the staff members alleged that she showed symptoms of the disease but the hospital authorities admitted her to the general ward. A 44-year-old woman from Kalimpong had also died of COVID-19 in North Bengal Medical College on Monday. Bengal registered its first COVID-19 death on March 23, when a 57-year-old man died of the disease at a private hospital in Salt Lake.

Meanwhile, 15 new patients have tested positive in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 37. A 57-year-old man, a resident of Rathtala area, was admitted to a private hospital in Belghoria on March 26. He tested positive for the virus on Tuesday and has been kept under ventilation. According to hospital sources, the patient has been suffering from kidney related problems and dialysis had been performed on him on several occasions. The Health department has already asked the private hospital to put the attending doctors, nurses and health workers under home quarantine. In two separate incidents, a 51-year-old man from Salt Lake who was admitted to a private hospital in the locality and a 52-year-old man, a resident of Tollygunge who was admitted to a private hospital in Dhakuria, tested positive for the virus on Tuesday. None of them has any history of travelling abroad. On the other hand, a 32-year-old youth, a resident of Daspur in West Midnapore, was admitted to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital. He tested positive on Tuesday, along with Surendra Kumar Jain, a resident of Rajballabh Saha Lane, Howrah, who was admitted to a private hospital in Dum Dum.
3 recovered and released

Three persons who were affected in the initial stage with the COVID – 19 including the 18-year-old son of a top bureaucrat in the state have been released from the Beliaghata ID Hospital on Tuesday as they have recovered from the disease. 

The hospital authorities have released the patients after they had tested negative for the virus twice in a gap of 48 hours. 

The reports confirmed that they are no longer affected with the disease. 

However, all the three patients have been asked to remain under home quarantine for 14 days following which their swab tests would be carried out. 

The father of the 22-year-old youth of the Ballygunj Panditiya Road who tested positive along with his son has been released along with a 23-year-old girl from Ashokenagar in North 24-Parganas. All of them met the required prerequisite parameters set by the Health department before being released from the hospital. 

The healing up of the patients has sent across a strong message that patients can easily recover and there is nothing to worry. 

The 18-year-old son of a top bureaucrat in the state had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 18 making it the first confirmed case in the state. He returned from London and fell ill following which he was admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital. He initially refused to get admission in two government hospitals after his arrival in the city. 

A youth who had reached the city from London on March 13, was found COVID – 19 positive. The 22-year-old a resident of a posh multi-storeyed apartment on Panditiya Road in South Kolkata was the second victim. His father who was also affected was among the three released from the hospital. 

A 23-year-old girl who had returned to the city from Scotland on March 19, and admitted to Beliaghata ID Hospital on March 20, tested positive for the COVID – 19 at Beliaghata ID Hospital. The victim, a resident of Ashokenagar area under Habra police station in North 24-Parganas had gone to Scotland to study MBA. 

Meanwhile, it may be mentioned here that the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) which has been announced as a dedicated hospital for the COVID – 19 will start admitting emergency patients from Wednesday other than corona affected ones.