Mamata reviews Covid preparedness in Bengal, says ‘no reason to panic’

Kolkata: Bengal’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reviewed the current Covid situation in Bengal during a meeting with the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and other officials from the administrative and Health departments.

After chairing the review meeting at Nabanna to check the state’s preparedness to deal with if there is any outbreak of Covid in the future, Banerjee said there is no reason to panic about the COVID-19 situation in Bengal.

“We get scared whenever we hear the word Covid but the situation in Bengal is absolutely normal. I can’t speak for private hospitals, as they don’t fall under my jurisdiction. As per the official information, there is no reason to panic about the Covid situation. But we have to remain alert,” Banerjee said during a Press conference.

Asserting that the government hospitals have requisite infrastructure, Banerjee urged people to undergo treatment in state owned hospitals. “Try to undergo treatment in government hospitals instead of private ones. You will not have to bear huge costs in the name of various diseases,” she advised.

“The pandemic has now become endemic. WHO has already said it’s an endemic, not a pandemic – I’ve heard this, but please cross-check. There is nothing to worry about. Sometimes it is a concern for those who have comorbidities like heart, lung, chest issues. Age is also a factor sometimes. People sometimes face respiratory distress because of coughs and colds. In case of an ailment go to doctors,” she added.

“We have not taken any decision because the situation is not at all bad. This is nothing but a type of influenza. With a population of around 130 crore in India, 4,000-5,000 cases nationwide is not alarming. However, we took stock of the preparedness in the meeting with all concerned departments, from panchayat to KMC. Preparations are complete. Hopefully, the pandemic will never come back. We have to be alert, not create panic,” Banerjee said.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, senior officers of the Health department, representatives of civic bodies, including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, and Panchayat department officials were present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Bengal reported 54 new active Covid cases on Monday since Sunday, taking the total number of active cases to 747, Union Health Ministry data said. One Covid related death has been reported in Bengal this season.

Dr Yogiraj Roy, an expert in the field who was present in the meeting said: “Last time, the Omicron variant played havoc on people. This time it’s a subvariant of Omicron which is very mild. This is not all a matter of concern. People will only be affected with fever, cough and cold. Hope, the wave will soon be over.”