Kolkata: In a bid to ramp up COVID-19 tests and subsequent treatment, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said the state-run Calcutta Medical College and Hospital would function as a full-fledged tertiary level Covid hospital from May 20.
"Keeping in view the increasing need of ramping up specialised COVID-19 treatment in the state, we have decided to notify the Medical College, as full-fledged tertiary level COVID-19 hospital, which will start functioning from May 7, 2020," Banerjee said in a tweet.
The oldest medical college and hospital in Asia that was established in 1,834 would start with 500 beds for both Covid and SARI, which would be scaled up as per need in phases. "This will be the 68th dedicated Covid hospital in West Bengal," she added.
At present 67 COVID-19 hospitals with 8,036 beds are fully functional in the state. With the addition of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, the number of beds dedicated to COVID-19 treatment will go up to 8,536 from Thursday. The 67 COVID-19 hospitals also include private establishments that are now being run by the state government, including bearing all their expenses.
There are around 271 ventilators available but only 30 have been utilised for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
This comes when the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in the state went up to 1,456, including 112 people, who tested positive in the past 24 hours. Currently, 1,047 people are undergoing treatment. Four more people died due to COVID-19 in Bengal taking the death toll to 72. At least 265 people were released after recovery till date, including one person in the past 24 hours.
The Mamata Banerjee government has successfully increased the average number of swab sample tests from 250 per day a month ago to 2,500 per day at present with also bringing about a huge rise in the number of laboratories from one to 15.
The number of tests would increase further as 12 more laboratories are going to become functional soon as it is on the verge of getting approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The 12 include 10 state-run and two private laboratories.
"Infrastructure of the laboratories at the NRS Medical College and Hospital and Bankura Sammelani Medical College and Hospital is almost ready. We are just waiting for the ICMR's approval," said state Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay.
The Home Secretary also added that all frontline COVID-19 warriors in Bengal have been brought under insurance coverage of Rs 10 lakh by the state government. State Asha healthcare workers have so far reached to over 6 crore residents across Bengal.