Covid cases keep up upward trend -Private hospitals in Siliguri asked to ready Covid wards

SNS, SILIGURI, 26 JUNE 2020: Fourteen new cases of Covid-19 were found in areas under the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) today. Among the cases, three have been detected in Ward 38, two in Ward 33, and two in Ward 11, including a 97-year-old resident.

Meanwhile, in an order today, the Darjeeling district health department asked prominent private nursing homes to reserve 10 percent of their existing beds as'Covid Ward' with effect from today.

However, it could not be ascertained as to whether the nursing homes will treat in-house patients, who come for better treatment but test positive for Covid -19 there, or other patients opting for Covid treatment too.

other patients opting for Covid treatment too.

"We have issued an order to private health facilities to reserve 1O percent of the existing beds for Covid -19 treatment," district chief medical officer of health (CMOH) Dr Pralay Acharya said.

The state government has taken over two private nursing homes in Siliguri for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. As the number of cases is on the rise, the two dedicated hospitals are now overburdened.

The order has asked the nursing homes to submit their action reports to the CMOH within 29 June.

Pvt hosp accused of refusing treatment

Meanwhile, family members of a 26-year-old youth of Ward-1 have levelled allegations against a private nursing home for denying treatment on suspicion of Covid 19, which they said led to the patient's death. The nursing home authorities, however, ruled out the charges. The person had tested negative for the coronavirus.

The youth suffered chest pain while playing football on Sunday and stayed in the house, but as it became unbearable he was taken to the nursing home on Wednesday. The family members said the nursing home directly advised Covid-19 tests at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH).

"Finding no option, we had to admit him in the isolation ward at the NBMCH and his test was conducted there. He died today. The swab test reports confirmed that he did not have Covid-19," said a neighbour of the deceased, Santosh Chowdhury.

The nursing home management refuted the charges. "The patient had come here with chest pain and we did not have cardiologists then. The on-duty doctors realised he needed better treatment that is why he was referred for better health facilities. The Covid-19 test has become part of the treatment protocol." said an official of the nursing home. NBMCH sources said he died due to a "sudden cardiac attack."

Another market shuts

The administration has closed the market at Salugara in Siliguri as part of precautionary measures for seven days.

16 new cases in North Dinajpur

In North Dinajpur, 16 fresh Covid cases were detected in the past 24 hours. The fresh cases include a health staff, a resident of Islampur municipality, and the wife of a former municipality councillor; sources said. Most of the new cases are from the outskirts of Islampur town. On the other, hand three cases were detected in different places of Raiganj Sub-division yesterday, sources said. District health officials, however, refused to speak on the matter.

17 fresh cases in South Dinajpur

In South Dinajpur, the number of cases has gone up to 179, with 17 new cases in the past 24 hours. However, 90 of the affected have been cured, officials said.

As the backlog of Covid tests mount, leaders of the RSP today served a memorandum to the district magistrate and demanded a laboratory in the district or regular tests and immediate reports.

Among the 17 new cases in South Dinajpur are six government employees of the Gangarampur Block Development Office. Gangarampur block is at the top with 34 Covid cases, Harirampur is in the second with 32, Kumarganj has 28, while Balurghat has reported 18 so far.

"A proposal for an RT-PCR Lab was good, but the implementation of the project seems impossible in the district as the district officials have said they have a shortage of manpower and space. We have demanded regular and random tests and immediate results." state secretary of the RSP Biswanath Chowdhurv, said.

No new case in Alipurduar

Meanwhile, in Alipurduar, no Covid -19 case was reported today. The number of cases there stands at 181 so far.

25 more in Malda.

In Malda, 12 women, including four police personnel, were among the 25 new cases detected.The new cases have now taken the district tally of positive cases to 513.

Meanwhile the 'Pathasathis building of the state government has been turned into a Covid hospital.