Hospitals told to be ready with isolation ward being full at ID Hospital

Kolkata: With almost all the 24 beds in the isolation ward of Beliaghata ID Hospital being occupied with suspected victims of COVID–19, other medical colleges and hospitals in the city have been asked to be prepared with all the adequate facilities to meet the extra rush of patients.

Beliaghata ID is the nodal hospital for COVID–19 but it has now become difficult for the hospital authorities to accommodate all the suspected patients many of whom are found to be visiting the hospital on their own to get the swab test done.

Many of such panic-stricken patients are keen on visiting the Beliaghata ID after they are affected with fever and other symptoms of any viral attack. Even the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) are overburdened with the pressure of swab tests.

To combat the situation, SSKM Hospital, School of Tropical Medicine, NRS Medical College and Hospital, RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital in the city

have already opened isolation wards, following the instruction from the state Health department.

Despite the Health department's relentless campaign to check the spread of rumour and panic, many people from different parts of the state with fever, cough and cold have been visiting the emergency department of the hospital and insisting on doing a swab test.

Many of these people have not yet been exposed to COVID-19 affected victims neither they have come in close contact with those who have returned from foreign countries.

The 18-year-old son of a senior government official who has tested positive for the virus is stated to be in stable condition at Beliaghata ID. His is the only COVID–19 case that has been detected in Bengal so far. The victim had carried the virus from London where he had been exposed to COVID–19 affected victim. His parents and a driver who came in close contact tested negative on Wednesday. The swab samples of the two attendants of the family came negative as well on Thursday.

Incidentally, two dental students from Dr R Ahmed Dental College and Hospital who were initially taken to the Beliaghata ID Hospital were later shifted to the NRS Medical and Hospital. They were, however, released from the hospital as nothing suspicious was found. The duo had recently visited Kerala to attend a seminar.

Two patients who have recently returned to their native place in Jalpaiguri from France and Nepal respectively have been admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital on Thursday. They have been kept under isolation and their swab samples have been sent for tests.