Darj district plans more safe homes

SNS, SILIGURI, 20 JULY 20: Given the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, the Darjeeling district health department is planning to arrange for more 'safe homes' where asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms can be treated.

One such facility is coming up in the Hills at Jamuni under the Bijanbari block in Darjeeling district, the one after Batasia, officials have said.

According to the district chief medical officer of health, Dr Pralay Acharya, apart from this, 50 beds will be arranged for the same in the 150 bed quarantine facility at Phansidewa in the plains. There are two more safe homes at Batasi under the Kharaibari block and Naxalbari block in the plains.

Sources at the health department said the safe home at Jamuni will have around 30 beds, while the one at Batasia has 25. There are around 150 beds at the Batasi and Naxalbari safe homes.

"The safe home at Jamuni will be functional in a day or two," Dr Acharya said.

Doctors visit the homes, while patients are shifted to hospitals from there if they develop severe symptoms.

On the other hand, Darjeeling district magistrate S Ponnambalam said the occupancy rate at the two dedicated hospitals for Covid-19 patients in Siliguri was adequate.

"Those facilities have adequate beds. We are encouraging home isolation or safe homes for asymptomatic or mild symptomatic patients so that patients that actually require hospitalization and treatment get beds," Mr Ponnambalam said. Meanwhile, infrastructure development at the hospital at Tribeni in Kalimpong district is underway. The hospital has been upgraded to Level-IV to treat Covid -19 patients. The hospital has so far been mainly treating suspected Covid- 19 patients or those suffering from severe acute respiratory syndrome in the Hills.

The 125-bed hospital was inaugurated on 23 June. So far, there had been no dedicated hospital in the Hills for Covid 19 treatment. Health department officials said that though the hospital had the required infrastructure, the ICU and dialysis unit will be set up soon. They said the hospital is expected to treat positive patients within seven days.