Siliguri doctors among six new Covid cases - Health experts fear people-to-people'transmission

SNS, 6 JUNE 20220, SILIGURI: At least six new cases of Covid-19 in Siliguri today included two doctors. The administrationh as declared some areas of Ward 45 in Siliguri as a containment zone, following the death of a Covid-19 patient yesterday.

Health department offitials said a North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) doctor of the medicine department, an intern of the same department, and a dentist of a private nursing home in Siliguri had tested positive.

Sources said a life convict from the Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home was also tested positive for the virus at the NBMCH. "Samples were tested on 5 June and reports showed positive today. It is suspected that he was infected somehow at the NBMCH (where he had been undergoing treatment)." sources said.

A woman from Khudiram Pally under the Dabgram-II gram panchayat who worked in a tailoring shop at Seth Sreelal Market in Siliguri, was also tested positive. A 17 year-old girl of Fulbari also tested positive for Covid- 19.

Many health experts, meanwhile, apprehended that the rise in case; could suggest people- to -people infection" as some patients did not have travel history or known contact with positive cases.

A stretch of the area in Ward 17 also became a containment zone, while the administration lifted such orders from Wards 6 and 27 today.

Tribeni SARI hospital

The State Department of Health and Family Welfare has designated Tribeni Tourist Lodge in Kalimpong district as a SARI (Severe acute respiratory infection) hospital.The notification dated 5 June states, "Tribeni Tourist Lodge will be converted to SARI hospital (Level-II) with a capacity of 150 beds."

In a Facebook post, GTA chairman Anitl Thapa thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her step in making Tribeni a SARI hospital and said, "The hospital will be operational soon for the people of Darjeeling and Kalimpong district."

Level escalation of Desun Hospital at Siliguri to level-IV from the present level-II has also been mentioned in the notification. Desun Hospital was taken over in April for the treatment of patients having Covid-19 symptoms, but will henceforth treat only diagnosed Covid cases.

"The officer on special duty for Covid-19 in north Bengal, Dr Susanta Kumar Roy, said hospitals had been asked to arrange for isolation facilities.

Patients released from hospital.

Ten patients, who have recovered from Covid-19, were discharged from Dr Chhang's Super Specialty Hospital today.

Raiganj girl positive

A 12-year-old student of a convent high school and a resident of Sudarsanpur in Ward-2 in Raiganj Municipality in North Dinajpur district has tested positive for Covid- 19. The girl had recently visited Kolkata for a surgical operation, while her mother is a nursing staff of a local hospital.

"The girl has been admitted in the Covid hospital, while her parents and the driver of the car in which they travelled to Kolkata have been admitted in the isolation ward of the Raiganj Medical College," Raiganj Municipality Chairman Sandip Biswas said.

11 more in Malda

Eleven samples in Malda tested positive for the virus last night, taking the total of affected persons to 213 in the district. According to sources, six among the fresh cases are from the Habibpur block and the other five samples had been collected from the Gourkanya bus terminus.

Migrants seek tests

In South Dinajpur, inmates in the Parbatipur Free Primary School quarantine centre in Balurghat have demanded immediate collection of throat swab samples and Covid test reports The 18 inmates there returned from different states, including Maharashtra, on 28 and 30 May. According to the inmates, they want to go back to their families, but that they cannot do so as they are still awaiting Covid tests because they have returned from high burden areas.

IDA distributes relief materials

The West Bengal state branch of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) stood in solidarity with Amphan- affected people, along with an NGO Udyom. The organization, along with the NGO, distributed solar lights to administrative officials of both Diamond Harbour and Ramganga block, along with sanitary napkins, sanitizer, pediatric food, essential medicines and oral kits to the affected. "We feel good to help the people in times like these," the IDA state branch secretary Raju Biswas, said.