Medical fraternity set to take vaccines to rural areas, tea gardens

SNS, SILIGURI,18 JUNE 21 : The medical fraternity will reach out to specially-abled persons and provide them with Covid-19vaccines.They will also hold awareness programmes in rural areas, and among tea garden workers to dispel any fear and vaccine hesitancy. Doctors have taken an initiative to bring a maximum number of people with disabilities under the Covid-19 vaccination cover.

A joint initiative of 'My Doctors,' a forum of doctors of different disciplines, the North Bengal Handicapped Rehabilitation Society, and the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, the programme will begin this month, it is learnt.

"It has been observed that many differently-abled persons are yet to be vaccinated, and the wheelchair-bound persons and others are facing problems visiting the vaccination centres. We will try to reach out to them as they have very limited mobility at their doorsteps in the rural areas and tea plantation areas. The service will be extended to the 18 to 44 years age group and also caregivers of those persons below 18 years as soon as vaccine doses are available for this particular group from the authorities. At the same time, will also carry out campaigns against vaccine hesitancy, which has come up due to swirling rumours about adverse effects and efficacy. Our campaign will focus on how the vaccines are completely safe and how it can save lives," said the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital associate professor of pathology, Dr Kalyan Khan. According to Dr Khan, even small fractions of the unvaccinated population here and there due to vaccine hesitancy could lead to failure in eradication of Covid-19 from the country and the world as a whole.

Dr Khan said the health department had assured them about providing the vaccines. Some organisations have also taken steps to inoculate the specially-abled persons separately.

Meanwhile, a vaccination camp will be organised by the society for physically challenged soon.

127 new Covid cases in Darjeeling district

Siliguri Municipal Corporation, including wards that fall in Jalpaiguri district, recorded 48 new Covid-19 cases today, while Darjeeling district reported 127 cases in total, sources said.

Thirty-three cases were detected in Takdah, 17 in Sukna, eight in Matigara, seven each in Phansidewa and Bijanbari, five cases each in Darjeeling Municipality and Kurseong Municipality, four cases in Naxalbari, three cases in Kharibari, and one case each in Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari.

Meanwhile, 240 Covid patients recovered either in government hospitals or in home isolation in the district in the past 24 hours, the sources added.

Five Covid patients die

Around five persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 died in Siliguri in the past 24 hours, sources said. The sources said three persons died in the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and two in a private nursing home.

Ganguly donates concentrators

The Board of Control for Cricket in India president and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly handed over two oxygen concentrators to the Darjeeling district Red Volunteers. The concentrators will be used in Siliguri and Darjeeling district as a whole, according to their necessity. The Red Volunteers had recently requested former Siliguri mayor Asok Bhattacharya to arrange for such concentrators to address the demand for oxygen in Siliguri. It is learnt that Mr Ganguly agreed to provide the same on the request of Mr Bhattacharya.

NBMCH security in question

Questions have once again come up over security and monitoring of patients at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri after a female mucormycosis patient fled from the facility last evening. The police said they have started investigations.

The 58-year-old patient from Murshidabad was admitted in the ENT ward there on 16 June.

"We immediately informed the police outpost at the NBMCH of the matter. It is not clear why she walked out from the ward. Police have contacted her family members," said NBMCH superintendent Dr Sanjay Mallik. 

Instances of patients fleeing the region's preemier health facility and other government hospitals from different wards are, however, not new. Many patients have left hospitals in the middle of their treatment.

"Security guards are generally posted at the main gates, not in all the wards. We are not sure on what ground she came out from the ward. There are multiple exit and entry points in the huge campus. However, we need to be alert and the on-duty medical staff in the ward should monitor the movement of the patients," Dr Mallik said.

There are 80 private security guards employed at the NBMCH.

On the other hand, eight mucormycosis patients have died in the NBMCH in the almost past one month. Some of them were suffering from Covid-19, while some had recovered from the virus, and one of the patients was a nonCovid case, it is learnt.

The first case of mucormycosis this year was found at the NBMCH on 24 May

During this period, 15 black fungus patients have been treated in the NBMCH. Until today afternoon, 10 patients were admitted there, including two in the ENT ward, two in the medicine ward, one in the chest ward, two in the Covid Block and two in the Critical Care Unit, sources said.