As cases drop, Covid beds being freed up

Kolkata: The state Health department has started the process of freeing up Covid beds in hospitals after the number of infections has witnessed an all-time low and the daily fatality went down to nil.

According to sources, it was learnt that Covid beds will be freed in almost all the hospitals in the city except those which will be kept at MR Bangur Hospital, Dr BC Roy Memorial Hospital for Children and Sambhunath Pandit Hospital. All the government and private hospitals will have to earmark space inside non-Covid departments so that patients undergoing treatment in various disciplines can be kept there if they test positive in the course of their treatment, said the new Covid guidelines.

There is no requirement to keep a dedicated Covid ward. These patients are mostly those who get admitted to various departments for non-Covid ailments. A special team from the state Health department had visited several hospitals to assess the Covid situation. On the basis of the report submitted by the expert committee the Health department framed new regulations. On the basis of recommendations by the expert committee, the Health department has taken the decision to free up Covid beds in government hospitals and also in the requisitioned hospitals. Sources said Covid patients who are undergoing treatment in Covid ICUs are elderly people having various comorbidities. Bengal has been witnessing daily Covid infections of around 150 which is the lowest ever in the past two years. The state has consistently registered the daily fatality rate at zero in the past three days. Sources in the Health department said the beds in private hospitals, which had been requisitioned for Covid treatment, would be freed up gradually as well so that more non-Covid patients can be treated.