Bengal government enlists 50 IAS officers into Covid-19 patient management system

The senior officials would study the existing system following which they would submit a report pointing out the areas where facilities can be improved

The state government also wants to expedite the vaccination programme and that’s why the administration has sought 1 crore vaccine doses from the Centre.: Shutterstock

Pranesh Sarkar   |  TT  |  Calcutta   |   22.04.21: The Bengal government has drafted in about 50 senior IAS officers into the Covid-19 patient management system in the state considering that the situation could be worse in near future.

“The senior officials will look after major issues related to Covid-19 patient management system. The primary goal of the government is to upgrade facilities to attend to more Covid patients at both government and private healthcare facilities. The officers would guide the government to initiate proper steps to enhance facilities,” said a senior government official.

According to the plan, the senior officers have been given responsibilities like augmentation of beds at the Covid hospitals, supply of oxygen, admission to Covid care facilities, vaccination, management of satellite centres, Covid-related procurement and funerals of victims.

They would study the existing system, following which they would submit a report pointing out the areas where facilities can be improved.

While explaining why such a step was initiated, a bureaucrat said: “For example, people are making a beeline for vaccination centres. We have to find out whether we can increase vaccination tables or vaccination centres or working hours to ease the problem.”

“The IAS officers would submit a report suggesting ways to solve the problem,” added the bureaucrat.

Sources in the government said the ruling establishment was very careful about handling the situation in a more professional way to ensure that it did not send a wrong signal to common people.

“Last year, there were issues related to funerals of Covid victims in the state, which did not send a proper message. This year, three senior IAS officers have been engaged to look after the issue in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation area, besides rural and urban areas. If there is mismanagement on issues like this, people get panicky, which the state does not want at this moment,” said a source.

The state government also wants to expedite the vaccination programme and that’s why the administration has sought 1 crore vaccine doses from the Centre.

The health secretary, N. S. Nigam, would write a letter to the Union health secretary, urging him to send 1 crore vaccine doses immediately.

“Government vaccination centres would be given 50 lakh doses and the private hospitals would be given 50 lakh vaccines to bring as many people as possible under the vaccination drive,” said a bureaucrat.