North Bengal eyes more Covid test hubs

TT, 9 June 2020, Siliguri:The steady rise in the number of Covid-19 cases across north Bengal has prompted senior health department officials to arrange more hospitals and testing facilities.

On Monday. 30 new cases were reported in north Bengal. In Jalpaiguri, 12 patients were identified, including six police constables, four migrant workers and two nurses.

Five cases each have been reported in Malda, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts and three new ones in Darjeeling district, said sources.

In Siliguri, the department has decided to find out a new private nursing home for Covid positive patients who are asymptomatic as the number of beds at Chhang's Super Specialty Hospital (a private nursing home that has been marked for Covid patients) has almost filled up.

"Due to an increase in the number of cases, it has been decided to find out a new hospital where corona positive patients who are asymptomatic, would be kept. Another 150 beds will be arranged at the Covid hospital in Jalpaiguri," said Sushanta Roy, the officer-on-special duty deputed by the state health department in north Bengal. "So far, the Desun Hospital was used for suspected coronavirus patients. But due to a hike in the number of cases, it has been decided to keep coronavirus positive patients at this nursing home from now on," Roy, the officer-on-special duty, added.

Also, two private nursing homes have been identified in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts. "Till now, Covid -19 patients of these districts were sent to Siliguri. Once these hospitals open up, the pressure on Covid hospitals in Siliguri will reduce," Roy added.

Roy added that they planned a separate facility with a capacity of around 200 beds for frontline workers at the Biswa Bangla Krirangan in Jalpaiguri. "If any of them test positive, they can stay there. We will also open paid quarantine centres," said the OSD.

Eight doctors of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri, who tested positive, are being treated. Thirty five other doctors and nurses who came in contact with the eight have been sent to quarantine.

Two testing facilities were opened at the NBMCH and Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH). Right now, three RT-PCR machines are working at the NBMCH and two more at the MMCH. "Machines will be installed in Cooch Behar and Raiganj medical colleges soon," said Roy.

BJP MP of Darjeeling Raju Bista wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee urging for better health infrastructure in north Bengal.

The Darjeeling parliamentarian claimed there was a backlog of swab tests due to lack of testing facilities.

"This is an unprecedented health crisis and I humbly request you to kindly call a meeting of all the elected officials, MPs, MLAs, civic body heads, administrators of government run bodies," the MP wrote to the chief minister, requesting action on Covid-19.