COVID-19: Central teams visit hospitals, quarantine centres, hotspots in Bengal

Two central teams, which are in West Bengal to assess the COVID-19 situation, visited quarantine centres, hospitals and hotspots on Thursday and took stock of the state's preparedness to combat the outbreak, officials said.

The team, which is in Kolkata, on Wednesday had sought a detailed presentation from the West Bengal government on whether the level of testing in the state is adequate and enough oxygen, ICU beds and ventilators are available.

This team, led by Apurba Chandra, a senior bureaucrat in the Ministry of Defence, visited a quarantine centre in Rajarhat in North 24 Parganas district and spent nearly an hour, the official said.

 

Later in the afternoon, the team went to M R Bangur Hospital, where several COVID-19 patients are undergoing treatment.

"Both at the quarantine centre and at the hospital, the central team spoke to doctors and officials and took note of the details. They spoke to the superintendent of the M R Bangur Hospital, and took stock of measures taken by the authority. They also enquired about the problems, if any, that the health staff are facing," a senior official said.

The team also visited some of the wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, which have been reported as COVID-19 hotspots.

The second central team began its field visits from a migrant labour centre in Siliguri and also went to an apartment where the doctors and nurses treating the coronavirus-infected patients have been kept.

The team at North Bengal, led by Vineet Joshi, a senior official of HRD ministry, met health officials, including the Jalpaiguri district's chief medical officer (CMOH), and took stock of the situation.

Later in the evening, the members visited a centre, where migrants labourers are quarantined, and enquired whether they are facing any problem.

Speaking to reporters, Joshi said they are trying to understand the situation and are getting cooperation from the government from Thursday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier slammed the Centre for sending the teams to West Bengal and alleged that faulty testing kits were dispatched to the state.