Covid positivity rate in S 24-Pgns lesser than overall rate in state

KOLKATA: A slew of measures taken by South 24-Parganas district administration following the advice of MP Diamond Harbour Abhishek Banerjee has yielded fruitful results in the fight against COVID-19.

The positivity rate in the district as on January 22 stood at 10.13 per cent, which is less than 11.3 per cent, the overall rate in the state.

The Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency, however, has a 2.12 per cent positivity rate, one of the lowest in the entire state.

"We have already started control room in every gram panchayat and municipality wards. The number of COVID-19 related calls that we are receiving has increased 10 times.

The infrastructure that we have developed in telemedicine is one of the best in the entire state. Mask distribution, awareness and meeting with market associations have been a regular feature in the district," P. Ulaganathan, District Magistrate said.

The police have also played a significant role by stringent checking at all entry points. People not weaing masks have been prosecuted as per legal procedure.

Most importantly, the 'Doctors on Wheel', a pathbreaking initiative of Banerjee, has been implemented in the entire district. Initially, vehicles in Diamond Harbour and Alipore Sub-division were on the move with a 26 doctors panel.

These doctors visit safe Homes, patients in home isolation, Gram panchayats and health institutions on daily basis. They also sit in gram panchayats/ ward/BDO/SDO/district headquarters' control room and provide teleconsultation to COVID patients and the patient parties.