Now, cops to monitor govt vaccine camps- Significant drop in Siliguri Covid cases

SNS, SILIGURI, 26 JUNE 21: Police inspectors will monitor Covid-19 vaccinations at vaccine centres in Siliguri, while officers of the rank of the deputy police commissioner will pay visits to ensure the drive is conducted properly

The decision has been taken in the wake of allegations of anomalies at government run vaccination centres.

The chairperson of the board of administrators of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), Gautam Deb, today held a meeting with Siliguri police commissioner Gaurav Sharma, Darjeeling district chief medical officer of health Dr Pralay Acharya, North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) principal Prof Indrajit Saha, and superintendent Dr Sanjay Mallik to review the vaccination process and containment zones today.

"Police inspectors will be deputed at the vaccination centres for monitoring and an officer of the rank of deputy police commissioner will also make a visit at least once. We will pay visit, no activities of brokers will be tolerated," Mr Deb said. According to hint, the availability of the vaccines will be announced at the centres through the public address system, apart from displaying the stock for the people. Mr Deb said only recipients and one close family member will be allowed to stand in the queues.

"All those decisions have been taken in order to conduct hassles-free vaccination. The police, administration, civic body, NBMCH, Siliguri District Hospital are working in a coordinated manner," he added. Mr Deb said the number of venues will be increased if more doses are supplied.

The 10 Urban Primary Health Centres under the SMC provide around 1400 doses daily, and the figure for NBMCH is around 1000, while it is 500 at the Siliguri District Hospital. There are seven containment zones identified under the SMC.

Significant drop in Siliguri Covid cases

Daily Covid-19 cases saw a significant drop in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, when it recorded 27 cases today sources said.

Public health experts tracking the cases, however, said that though the trend was declining, the time had not come to draw any conclusion.

Darjeeling district recorded 159 cases. There was a significant rise in the new cases at Sukna, which reported 63 cases today

Sixteen cases were found in Matigara, 14 in Phansidewa, 12 in Mirik, 11 in Takdah, seven cases each in Naxalbari and Bijanbari, four in Kharibari, two in Mirik Municipality, and one case each in Darjeeling and Kurseong municipalities.

Meanwhile, 209 persons recovered from Covid-19 in the district in the past 24 hours.

Five Covid patients die

Around five persons who had tested positive for Covid19 have died in Siliguri. Four persons died at the NBMCH and another person died in a private nursing home, sources said.

One mucormycosis patient dies

A 71-year-old resident of Banarhat in Jalpaiguri district, who had tested positive for mucormycosis, died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) today, sources said.

Post-Covid Psychiatric Clinic

The NBMCH is set to start a Post-Covid Psychiatric Clinic (attached to the department of psychiatry) on 28 June.

The head of the department of psychiatry Dr Nirmal Kumar Bera, said, "At this moment, the clinic will benefit a large number of people."

Pulse polio drive

The health department has set a target to vaccinate 46,000 children aged below five in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation under the sub-national intensified pulse polio immunisation programme that will begin tomorrow. It will continue till 29 June.

Health workers will visit houses to administer the oral polio vaccine. "Polio vaccines will be administered during the house-to-house visits and at transit points. There will be no camps or clinics to hold the immunisation programmes amid the Covid-19 situation. Health workers will administer two drops of bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) to children aged below five. Vaccination teams will follow the Covid protocols," said Darjeeling district magistrate S Ponnambalam.