Safe home push to decongest hospitals -About 80 per cent asymptomatic patients now crowd facilities

Pranesh Sarkar , Snehamoy Chakraborty   |   TT   |   Calcutta, Bolpur(Birbhum)   |   23.07.20   :   The Bengal government has decided to send asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to safe homes from dedicated Covid hospitals from Thursday. 

Hospitals so far crowded with asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms will from now house only those Covid-19 patients who are seriously ill. 

“The process of shifting asymptomatic patients who don’t need major medical support would start on Thursday. Some asymptomatic patients will be sent to the safe home set up at South City Business Park in Anandapur from MR Bangur Hospital. Once this is done, many patients from other Covid hospitals would be sent to safe homes in Calcutta and outskirts,” said a senior government official.

A health official said they found dedicated Covid-19 hospitals crowded with “80 per cent asymptomatic patients”. “That’s why it’s tough to find a bed for a serious patient” he said, adding that it was one of the reasons behind the rising toll,” he said. 

In the past few days, the average Covid-19 toll in Bengal was 35. On Wednesday, the toll shot up to 39.

Though the health bulletin issued by the health department on Wednesday pointed out that 39.55 per cent of the 11,239 Covid beds were occupied in the state, sources said the actual picture in Calcutta and its adjoining areas is completely different.

“According to rough estimates, more than 80 per of the beds in Calcutta are occupied. This is the reason why relatives of patients are often found running from one hospital to another. The department had to take some steps to ensure beds for serious patients and bring down the Covid mortality rate,” said a source. 

To encourage asymptomatic patients or those with mild symptoms to move to safe homes, the state has decided to make them comfortable. A dedicated team of doctors, availability of oxygen, clean atmosphere and other facilities such as a television set in every room has been planned for safe homes.

In Calcutta, the state government set up safe homes with 1,500 beds in places such as Haj House, South City Business Park and Gitanjali stadium. In districts, respective administrations are busy readying safe homes too.

The districts have been directed to arrange safe homes for asymptomatic patients and those with mild symptoms, said a senior official. Covid hospitals in the districts have a capacity to accommodate only 50 to 100 patients at a time. 

So in South 24-Parganas for instance, district authorities have opened 10 new safe homes and started tracing more government buildings to increase the number. 

In Hooghly’s Arambagh the administration has also requested hotels to set up paid safe homes for people willing to pay for extra comforts and well-furnished rooms, said SDO Nripendra Singh.

The Covid hospital in Burdwan town can house 100 patients which is about to fill up after 41 fresh cases were reported on Tuesday from the district. In Birbhum, district authorities have turned two quarantine centres into safe homes and sent a proposal to Nabanna for permission of a new safe home at the abandoned TB hospital in Dubrajpur.

“Our two safe homes are ready with staff in Bolpur and Rampurhat. We have sent a proposal to make another safe home in Dubrajpur,” said Birbhum district magistrate Moumita Godara Basu. 

In North Bengal, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has taken the task to find out buildings in and around Siliguri to be used as safe houses, said Shankar Ghosh, a member of the board of administrators in SMC. 

Fresh lockdown

Barasat and Barrackpore municipality authorities in North 24-Parganas have announced a seven-day complete lockdown to contain Covid-19. In Barrackpore, the lockdown will begin from Thursday. Barasat Municipality will lock down all 35 wards from July 25. Birbhum will enforce a lockdown in municipal areas for seven days from July 24 between 3pm and 6am.

Additional reporting by Avijit Sinha and Subhasish Chaudhuri