Covid patients with mild symptoms to be treated in ‘safe home centres’ in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee said that both private and government hospitals will now have to upload data on number of beds available every hour on public domain so that citizens can approach the right hospital while admitting a patient.

Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms will be treated in 104 ‘safe home centres’ set up across West Bengal, while hospitals will only treat patients in serious conditions, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.

“Patients with serious conditions will be treated in hospitals, while those with mild symptoms will be treated in ‘safe home centres’. Doctors will visit these centres twice a day and patients can avail home food. This way we can save hospital beds for extreme cases,” said Banerjee, adding that she can also offer her own house to be transformed into a safe home centre if need arises.

She also said that both private and government hospitals will now have to upload data on number of beds available every hour on public domain so that citizens can approach the right hospital while admitting a patient.

The decision was taken as reports of hospitals refusing to admit patients and demanding higher charges were pouring in since the pandemic started. The chief secretary is expected to hold a meeting with top brass of private hospitals on Thursday.

The government has also decided to give special incentive to frontline workers such as police, doctors, municipal staff and others, working covid-affected areas.

“They would be getting incentive at par with government employees working if difficult areas,” the chief minister said.

To build up on the pool of doctors, the state government has also decided to rope in final year medical students, interns and post graduate trainees to join the covid war. At present around 8,000 doctors and 5,000 nurses are already working in the field.

Banerjee said that the positivity rate of Bengal has shot up from 2.7% in May to around 3.4%. The migrant labourers started returning in May. This is however still lower than the national positivity rate of 5.8%, she added.

“I would request people not to hide if they show any symptoms. Those who tried to hide it are in danger now,” Banerjee said while citing examples of one of her party’s leaders.