KOLKATA 7 JULY : In a blatant proof of lack of treatment facilities and infrastructure in government’s designated 79 COVID-19 hospitals while 90 percent of the bed is vacant, in private hospitals the scene diametrically opposite with almost 90 percent beds are full while 10 percent are vacant.
The list uploaded in the state health department website will vouch for this. While in 79 government designated hospitals out 10,0607 beds, 7,790 beds are lying vacant while in 32 COVID19 private hospitals out of 1139 beds, 143 are vacant .
The list also mentions that the private hospitals that has been taken by the state health department the beds remain almost full.
In Kolkata city two private hospitals has been taken by the state health department , one at AMRI Salt Lake and Desun Hospital. In both this hospitals there are 61 and 113 COVID beds , but at AMRI Salt Lake only one bed is available and at Desun only six beds are available.
In the last two weeks, COVID19 cases have surged in the state and the data that has been uploaded in the website mentions that on 8 July 986 fresh cases were reported in Bengal . On 6 July the total new COVID19 cases stands at 861 while active COVID19 cases as on 6 July is 6,973. On 5 July the total new COVID19 case stands at 895 while active COVID-19 case stands at 6,658. On 4 July the new COVI19 case was 743 while active COVID 19 case was 6,329. Although the discharge rate was 66.72 percent on 4 July , the discharge rate was 66.48 percent.
Senior officials of the state health department said that although there has been a surge in the number of COVID19 cases , but mostly they do not require hospital treatment and so doctors are prescribing home isolation. In some critical cases people need hospital treatment and they prefer going to private hospitals. Thus majority of the beds in government designated hospitals are lying vacant .
Surprisingly at Beleghata ID Hospital out of 113 beds only 8 beds are lying vacant.
Interestingly the list mentions that out of 670 beds at MR Bangur Hospital only 323 beds have been occupied , while at a government designated private hospital at Darjeeling Nivedita Cancer Hospital out of 64 beds , 64 beds are lying vacant.
A senior doctor on condition of anonymity said” Bed vacancy is related with treatment along with infrastructure . In some of the state government run hospitals especially Beleghata ID Hospital and Calcutta Medical College , the bed vacancy is less as best possible treatment along with 24 hours doctors and nursing care has been provided .But in some cases where bed vacancy is less, chances are there that there is no such specialised doctors or nurses to take care of the patient. Hence this aversion to government hospitals.”
A senior principal of a medical college said “ Although there has been designated government facilities for COVID19 , often we see that patients who have been admitted to the hospital with other disease , are also getting affected by COVID 19 . As state government has said that we need to first give treatment for the primary disease , then look for the treatment of COVID19 case, we are treating the primary disease first . In some cases, patient’s condition is so serious from their primary disease ,that they cannot be shifted to government designated COVID19 hospitals too, and that has resulted in a rise of COVID19 case in non-COVID19 government hospitals too.”
Naryan Swarup Nigam , health secretary said “ Bed vacancy is not related to infrastructure . State Government designated COVID19 hospitals has good infrastructure , but in many cases it was found that the nursing care is not prompt and effective which led people to shift their minds.”
West Bengal government re-imposed lockdown in containment zones and buffer zones
With the surge in number of COVID19 cases, on Tuesday state government has decided to re-impose lockdown in containment zones. In Kolkata 25 containment zones have been identified and it has been identified that around 85 percent of those infected by coronavirus in the last two weeks are educated and living in housing complexes, stand alone apartments, and pucca buildings , while 15 percent are from slum areas . In Howrah there is 146 containment zone, while in North 24 Pargana there is 94 containment zones.
In Kolkata housing complexes situated at Bhowanipore, Alipore, Sarat Bose Road , Tollygunge has witnessed a steep rise in the number of COVID19 cases in the last two weeks.
Senior officials of KMC said that the casual attitude of the people after Unlock -1.0 is a reason behind the steep rise of COVID 19 cases and this has prompted the state government to re-impose lockdown in containment zones.