Private hospitals asked to treat Covid patients

SNS, SILIGURI,  9 JUNE 2020: With a surge in the number of people suffering from Covid-19, the Darjeeling district administration has asked private hospitals to treat coronavirus patients by setting up separate isolation wards for their patients if they are found positive.

Health department officials said the paid Covid hospital facility will ease the burden on the existing hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.

The state government has already converted a 110 bed hospital, which was meant for severe acute respiratory infection cases (SARI), into aCovid -19 hospital in Siliguri. Another 120-bed dedicated hospital for positive cases has already been operating in the town.

A Level-III health facility (which caters to confirmed positive patients with mild infection or influenza like illness) will be coming up, officials said.

Darjeeling District Magistrate S Ponnambalam addressed a meeting with representatives, of nursing home, in Siliguri last evening.

"We have asked all private hospitals to arrange for isolation wards to treat patients undergoing treatment there if they are found positive for Covid-19," Mr Ponnambalam said.

Sources said the administration has asked some nursing homes in Siliguri to act on this.

In the absence of a dedicated hospital for SARI and suspected Covid -19 cases in Siliguri, the treatment of such patients can be arranged for at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. It has isolation wards and many patients are getting admitted there.

"At the same time, all sub-divisional hospitals have been asked to arrange for 20- bed isolation facilities," a senior health department official said.