Augment COVID-19 infra: State to dists

KOLKATA: With a slight rise in daily Covid cases in Bengal in the past few days, the state Health department has taken precautionary measures ahead of Puja asking various districts to augment Covid infrastructure including the critical care beds to combat if there is any further upsurge.

In an order issued on Wednesday, the Health department has empowered the District Magistrates, the principals of medical colleges and hospitals to take up necessary civil/electrical/constructional works so that adequate arrangements are in place to combat any unforeseen situations. Chief Medical Officer of Health in North 24-Parganas has already placed a requisition of funds of around Rs 2.99 crore for the management of Covid.

Health department has already sanctioned Rs 2.77 crore. CMoH, North 24-Parganas will sub-allot the fund to the concerned agency by strict observance of existing financial norms. Expenditure incurred under various heads should be entered in the NHM-PMS portal. Health department has allotted funds for various other districts as well so that they can augment Covid infrastructure. East Burdwan CMoH has placed a requisition of Rs 1.67 crore for the enhancement of infrastructure. Health department has sanctioned around Rs 1.62 crore. It may be mentioned here that the state government had allotted a fund of around Rs 10 crore for procuring various equipment for critical care units in government hospitals in November last year.

Daily Covid infected cases were registered at 284 on Thursday while on Wednesday the figure stood at 309. Single day Covid cases stood at 279 on Tuesday while on Monday the number of daily infected cases was registered at 141. On last Sunday the daily cases stood at 374 and 314 on Saturday. Covid positivity rate dropped to 4.05 per cent on Thursday from what stood at 4.21 per cent on Wednesday.