3 top health officials & about 50 staff of Swasthya Bhawan test positive

Kolkata: Three top health officials of the state — Director of National Health Mission (NHM), Director of Health Services (DHS) and Director of Medical Education (DME) have been infected with Covid along with at least 50 other employees of Swasthya Bhawan.

DHS Dr Ajay Chakraborty, DME Dr Debasish Bhattacharya tested positive for Covid on Wednesday. Dr Chakraborty had undergone a rapid antigen test on Wednesday morning the report of which came negative. He had however been complaining about various symptoms for the past few days. RT-PCR report on Wednesday evening confirmed that he has been infected.

He has been affected by Covid for the second time. Last year he had been infected along with his wife. DHS along with 40 others have been admitted to the MR Bangur Hospital. He has various comorbid issues. NHM Director Soumitra Mohan also tested positive for Covid.

Uluberia Sub-divisional Hospital superintendent and many others have been affected. Many doctors, nursing staff members and health workers from the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Asansol District Hospital have been infected. BMOH in Hooghly's Polba has tested positive for Covid.

Over 400 doctors from various medical colleges in the city and the hospitals in the adjoining areas have tested positive for Covid prompting authorities to introduce rotation based rosters. As many as 184 doctors, nurses and health workers from Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital (CNMCH) have been affected. Out of 184, around 104 were found positive on Wednesday.

More than 65 doctors and 35 nursing staff members from the NRS Medical College and Hospital have also tested positive for Covid so far. A senior official of the NRS Medical College and Hospital tested positive for Covid on Tuesday. According to sources, around 265 people from Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) have been affected while around 100 have tested positive at Chittaranjan Seva Sadan. As many as 70 staff members from Howrah Medical College have tested positive, 30 in Sagore Dutta medical college. Chittaranjan Seva Sadan Hospital restricted OPD admission of patients at the Gynecology, Obstetrics and Pediatric departments from Tuesday as around 70 percent of the health care workers have been infected with Covid.

Agnimitra Pal, BJP MLA from Asansol Dakshin tested positive for Covid. This is the third time she has been infected with Covid.