List of Covid hospitals confuses people

MANAS R BANNERJEE , SNS, SILIGURI, 29 JULY 2020: Common people in Siliguri are in a state of confusion over free treatment facilities being provided by the state government for Covid- 19 patients, thanks to the list of 'bed availability status of state government-designated Covid hospitals,' issued by the state health and family welfare department on its website.

People, including relatives of Covid-19 patients, have criticised the health authorities after they had to pay hefty sums of money for the treatment of Covid patients in some private nursing homes in Siligtui, even though the government has been providing free treatment in two designated Covid hospitals in the town- Desun Hospital at Kawakhali and Dr Chhang's Multi Specialty Hospital at Matigara.

However, interestingly, the health department has mentioned five private hospitals in the Siliguri sub- division in Darjeeling district as "government-designated hospitals" in the state health department's website.

Covid-19 patients are availing of free treatment facilities in two such hospitals (Serial No 16 and 17 in the list-Desun and Dr Chhang's), but three others (No 18,19 and 20 by the list), though not yet taken over by the government, still find a place in the department's list of government designated Covid hospitals.

Source say that the three private hospitals have been providing treatment to Covid patients, albeit for a hefty charge.

Also, interestingly, family members of Covid-19 patients have complained that they were not able to find the location of "Nivedita Cancer hospital," which has been listed in serial number 20, as a 'government-designated Covid Hospital in Darjeeling district, and for which the bed availability status is updated every day. Sources in the know said there is no such facility in North Bengal called the " Nivedita Cancer Hpspital".

"As a result, Covid patients are fast being admitted in private nursing homes, including the one that shares its name with the mysterious Nivedita Cancer Hospital, where they have to pay hefty amounts for the same treatment that they would get in designated hospitals free of cost" one such source said.

Asked to comment, Darjeeling District Magistrate S Ponnambalam said: "Nivedita and Medica have been initially enlisted/ earmarked as possible Covid hospitals and communicated to the health department, but due to widespread local objections in initial days, we started treatment in Desun and Chhang. So far, the two hospitals are enough to cater to the patient needs."

Mr Ponnambalam also admitted to the faux-pax in the list that mentions 'Nivedita Cancer Hospital,' and said that the hospital was in fact another cancer hospital at Rangapani on the outskirts of Siliguri.

"Medica and Nivedita are providing their services privately. If we need them, the government may use them just like Desun and Chhang," he added.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent statement on free treatment in West Bengal has sparked controversy after some incidents of patients being refused bed and admission in Covid hospitals, and death of Covid patients due to alleged non-cooperation in state-run hospitals surfaced.

Notably, Miss Banerjee has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to showcase Bengal globally as a good example of how a government can provide free treatment to Covid-19 patients.

However, the CM's statement drew criticism from anti-Trinamul Congress political parties, especially the BJP.

The coordinator and the health section in-charge at the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Sankar Ghosh, had on 17 July pointed out to the issue and requested the district administration to rectify the data in the state government's web-site, which he said had been misleading people.

"Five private institutions in Siliguri have been designated as government Covid hospitals. Of them, three have been providing treatment privately by charging the patients for the treatment Significantly, in the private hospitals' list informing people of the availability of beds for treatment by paying charges, not a single private nursing home from Siliguri or from other North Bengal district has been listed," Mr Ghosh said.

The website also shows there are 224 beds in three designated hospitals in Siliguri and all are vacant.

"But practically, common people are facing grave problems managing a bed in such private facilities in Siliguri and even other districts," sources said.

Asked to comment, Trinamul Congress Darjeeling district president (plains), Ranjan Sarkar, said: "I don't know where Nivedita Cancer Hospital is. But there is a nursing home named Nivedita where 32 beds have been set aside for treatment of Covid- 19 patients privately. I will inform the administration about rectifying the same."