Health department to spike Covid testing in North Bengal

Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 13 June 2020, Kolkata: A sharp rise in the COVID-19 positive patients in North Bengal in the past few weeks has left the district administrations and the Health department worried, even as they are making efforts to conduct more number of sample tests on a daily basis for early detection of disease in patients. 

Alipurduar recorded Corona cases for the first time on May 29 when four patients were found positive with COVID-19 whereas Coochbehar registered its first cases on May 30 when 32 were found affected with the virus. Coochbehar and Alipurduar have so far recorded 258 and 44 COVID patients respectively. Darjeeling recorded total cases of 21 till May 30 but the number has gone up to 167 in the past two weeks. 

According to the health department officials besides South Bengal, the COVID infection rate seemed to be going up in all the 8 districts of North Bengal and many doctors, nurses and health workers from the North Bengal Medical College have been infected with the virus. This has become a serious concern for the district health officials. 

On May 10, the total number of COVID affected persons in all the eight North Bengal districts stood at 31 but on May 27 the total affected figure in North Bengal stood at 197. 

In the past 16 days the number of total affected persons has gone up to 1,155. Around 49 new cases have been reported from North Bengal in the past 24 hours. 

North Dinajpur has so far seen 215 positive patients, Darjeeling 188, Jalpiguri 190, Kalimpong 40, South Dinajpur 65. 

Infection rate in Malda is high. 

The total affected figure in Malda had jumped from 10 to 116 in a single day on May 27. 

On June 13 the number further went up to 255 till Saturday. With the rise in the number of corona patients, the health department also built up infrastructure to conduct more tests in North Bengal and more laboratories were started. 

North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) has so far conducted 43,261 sample tests and it started operation on March 29. NBMCH has done the highest sample tests in the state overtaking the NICED in Kolkata. 

NICED has so far performed 32,340 sample tests till Saturday. Malda Medical College and Hospital has carried out 25,988 sample tests and it began operation on April 8. Falakata SSH in Alipurduar so far conducted 942 sample tests and it started its journey from May 20. Balurghat DH in South Dinajpur performed 402 sample tests after starting the tests from May 22. Chanchal SDH in Malda so far carried out 29 tests after it opened on May 28. Coochbehar GMCH has conducted 80 sample tests since June 6. 

(Courtesy, source- Millenium Post- http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/health-department-to-spike-covid-testing-in-north-bengal-410369)