In the wake of rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, the West Bengal health department has taken a slew of measures to contain the outbreak of the deadly virus and raise awareness among people about the benefits of staying indoors during the crisis period.
As a part of its initiatives to tackle the pandemic, the health department has started converting portions of several government hospitals across the state into isolation centres for COVID-19 patients.
"We have taken all forms of precautionary measures to contain the outbreak of coronavirus in West Bengal. We have readied hospitals and set up isolation units for COVID-19 patients," a senior state health official said.
The state government had discharged patients, barring critical ones, and stopped new admission to the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital to convert the entire facility into an isolation and treatment centre for people suspected to be infected with coronavirus.
The full-fledged operations at the city hospital as a dedicated facility for treatment of suspected coronavirus patients have begun from Saturday morning, a health department official said.
"From Tuesday, we have started discharging patients who are in better condition and also stopped admitting new ones, especially those who are pregnant and referred to other government hospitals.
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"This is as per the state government's plan to convert the entire hospital, which has 2,200 beds, into an isolation and treatment centre for persons suspected to be infected with the coronavirus," the official said.
Some hospitals in districts have been identified and these facilities will soon be turned into isolation centres, as and when required, the health department officials said.
The department has also been training doctors and health professionals in dealing with COVID-19 patients, he said.
A first batch of 35 doctors has been sent to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital to combat the rush of coronavirus of patients in near future, he said, adding that several other health teams for districts have also been prepared.
Already more than 2,500 retired-health services employees have been roped in to tackle the situation.
The government has also sent requisitions to district administrations for turning indoor stadiums, community halls and district flood centres, to quarantine facilities.
Two elderly women from the state tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 17.