Darjeeling, Malda step up Covid fight as districts show fastest climb -Lockdown in contain zones, more safe homes for patients, ramping up of tests and tele-medicine

A deserted Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling File picture

Binita Paul & Soumya De Sarkar   |  TT   |   03.08.20  : Two north Bengal districts — Darjeeling and Malda — have shown the fastest climb in Covid-19 cases.

Infections in both districts have crossed 2,000, with single-day jumps of 100-plus infections, prompting administrative and health officials to work on a multi-pronged approach to tackle the situation.

These include lockdown in contain zones, more safe homes for patients who can’t be kept at home ( without a separate room and a toilet), ramping up tests and tele-medicine for those in home isolation.

In Siliguri, the administration is opening a new safe home at the indoor stadium in Deshbandhupara. “We are searching for more places within the Siliguri Municipal Corporation for safe homes,” said Siliguri SDO Sumanta Sahay. 

Pralay Acharya, the CMOH of Darjeeling, said they would increase beds in three Covid hospitals — two private nursing homes in Siliguri and a hospital in Triveni in the hills — for patients with serious symptoms.

The health department started antigen tests to detect more patients, particularly in areas where positive patients have been detected, to curb transmission. “The NBMCH lab tests 1,200 swab samples a day but the RT-PCR test takes time. The antigen test is faster,” said an NBMCH source.  

In Malda, the administration has introduced tele-medicine for asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients advised home isolation.

“Tele-medicine services are offered to patients at safe homes and home isolation,” said Malda ADM Ashok Modak.

((Courtesy & source- https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/darjeeling-malda-step-up-covid-fight-as-districts-show-fastest-climb/cid/1788085)