Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is in charge of the Health department, said on Wednesday that three more patients have been admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital with suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus (nCoV).
While addressing the media, Banerjee also said that not a single patient has tested positive for nCoV so far in the state. The state government, following the Chief Minister's instruction, has taken up a number of initiatives to check the spread of corona scare.
Senior Health department officials have also urged the people not to get swayed by the rumours which are being spread on social media.
In another development, the Union Health Secretary held a video conference with Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Health Secretary Vivek Kumar in the state, to take stock of the situation.
He reportedly sought information regarding the isolation wards which have been thrown open at various state government hospitals. Whether there is an adequate arrangement of masks and medicines was also enquired during the discussion.
Ever since the deadly virus made its mark in the country with more than 30 people being affected with the disease nationwide, the senior officials at the Union Health Ministry have been in touch with the various state governments.
Senior officials in the state are also sending reports to the ministry from time to time. Senior Health department officials at Swasthya Bhawan are getting reports from the chief medical officers of each district on a daily basis regarding the situation in their respective jurisdictions.
According to sources in the Beliaghata ID Hospital, three patients who have been admitted there on Wednesday are all youths. One of them is a resident of Nadia who returned to the city from Saudi Arabia, while the other two came from Philippines and Kerala. All of them have been suffering from fever and respiratory distress.
Meanwhile, a Murshidabad resident, who was admitted to the Beliaghata ID Hospital soon after his arrival from Saudi Arabia on March 8 with suspected symptoms, tested negative for nCoV.
However, the doctors suspect that he might have been affected with swine flu. None of the hospital officials has confirmed it yet.
Around 7 patients have been undergoing treatment at Beliaghata ID Hospital with corona-like symptoms.
The swab samples of another patient, who was admitted to a private hospital in South Kolkata, have been sent to the lab.
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