The number of COVID-19 infections and deaths in West Bengal continued to register a record high — 89 patients died in the past 24 hours and the number of infections rose to 17,407.
Though the number of samples tested remained the same, there is a spike in the deaths. The State recorded 77 deaths on Wednesday and the number of samples tested positive was 17,207.
The State is testing about 53,000 samples a day which is creating a huge gap in the number of patients who are required to be tested and who are actually undergoing tests. On Thursday, the number of samples tested in the past 24 hours was 53,724 while the number of samples tested on Wednesday was slightly higher at 54,936.
The Health Department’s decision that admission of patients to all the State-run hospitals should be routed through the advisory cell of the Swastha Bhawan (headquarters of the Department) has created more problems than solutions. In a notification on Wednesday, the department said a team of doctors managing the Admission Cell will decide on the admissions. The family members have to call the Swastha Bhawan and make a requisition for beds in State-run facility.
The family members of Ranu Saha, 78-year-old resident of north Kolkata who died on Thursday after testing positive, said despite reaching out to the Swastha Bhwan, there was no help. “We took her to several private hospitals where the authorities said beds were not available.”
After reaching out to the State-run Beleghata Hospital, the administration asked whether we had reached out to the Swastha Bhawan. Despite informing the Bhawan almost 24 hours ago, there was no help and “the patient died unattended,” Chandana Bose, an acquaintance of the family, said.
