Mirik gets 50-bedded safe home
darjeeling: Mirik sub division of the Darjeeling district got its first COVID-19 safe home. The 50-bedded facility located at the Mirik Degree College building became operational from Thursday.
"We have a 50-bedded facility, out of which 25 beds are for male and 25 for female patients. The number includes 6 beds with oxygen facility and 4 oxygen concentrators for 8 beds. Two doctors will be doing the rounds along with nurses who will be present round the clock on rotational duty. We will be housing patients with mild symptoms or asymptomatic patients," stated Dr. Tashi Lama, BMOH, Mirik.
There has been a heavy surge in positive cases in Mirik during the second wave of the viral outbreak. Till Wednesday the number of active cases in Mirik was 345.
The Mirik Block Hospital has 30 beds with no dedicated Covid ward. "Covid positive patients are usually referred to Darjeeling, Kurseong and the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. With this safe house now they can be housed here in isolation," stated Zameel Fathima Zeba, Sub Divisional Officer, Mirik.
Meanwhile, NBMCH registered another mucormycosis, commonly termed as black fungus, death on Thursday. The total number of deaths at the NBMCH now stands at three.
A 48-year-old resident of Milan More, Pradhan Nagar, Siliguri had tested COVID-19 positive and was admitted at a private nursing home. Though he later tested COVID-19 negative, he started showing symptoms of mucormycosis. When his condition deteriorated he was referred to the NBMCH. He was put on a ventilator on Wednesday at the NBMCH and later died. He had comorbidities also.
Meanwhile, with the surge in cases in the Hill tea gardens, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (Binoy) has appealed to the GTA to allocate vaccines for the tea garden workers. Along with this, they have appealed for vaccines for teaching and non-teaching staff of private educational institutions.
"It is very difficult for tea garden workers to maintain Covid-19 protocols including distancing and using sanitizers while at their jobs in the tea gardens. As per Government orders the tea gardens are functioning with 50 per cent workforce, in shifts. Many gardens had voluntarily shut down with the surge in positive cases.
Darjeeling district on Thursday registered 337 Covid positive cases on Thursday.
