The Mamata Banerjee government has asked all district magistrates to requisition private healthcare establishments as part of a strategy to keep on stand-by facilities across the state to treat Covid-19 patients near their homes instead of bringing them to Calcutta.

“Take over (the management of) private hospitals by holding discussions with the authorities for treatment of Covid-19 patients. Engage their employees in the government set-up. This will help us handle cases in a better way,” the chief minister said during a videoconference with officials in the districts.

(A 44-year-old resident of Kalimpong died on Monday, the second fatality from Covid-19 in Bengal. A 77-year-old resident of north Calcutta’s Kumartuli, who owns a garments business in Burrabazar, tested positive for the disease on Monday, taking the total of infections in the state to 22.)

Engaging a private hospital in government means the management of the hospital would be handled by the state health department and the salary of the employees of the private unit would be paid by the state government.

“The government will decide which patient would be admitted to the hospital and which doctor would take care of the patient. The government will use all the existing infrastructure of the private unit and in return an amount will be paid to the owner of the unit,” a senior government official said.

Sources said it had been decided that primarily, two or three private hospitals — with at least 100 beds each — would be requisitioned, taking into consideration the population of the district and the location of the area.

Sources said the preparations suggested that the authorities were readying infrastructure to deal with any emergency in the districts, where healthcare facilities are not adequate considering the population density.

“After arranging facilities in the city, the state administration has now shifted its focus to the districts as coronavirus-positive cases are being reported from different parts of the state. The steps are part of a strategy to prepare for Stage III, in which community spread of the virus starts,” a source said.

The Bengal government has already requisitioned marriage halls and community halls to set up quarantine centres in the districts.

The authorities have also requisitioned a few hotels in the districts to provide accommodation to doctors and nurses treating Covid-19 patients.

The state government has asked all districts to set up isolation units to treat Covid-19 patients in areas away from the main district hospitals so that other patients don’t panic and the treatment of other ailments don’t get affected.

The state government has set up labs in the north Bengal and Midnapore medical colleges to test samples so that the identification of the patients gets easier and faster.

“Identifying the patients and providing medical support to them in isolation wards in the districts is our target as we want to reduce the load on the facilities in Calcutta. This is the reason the districts have been asked to set up completely different units to admit coronavirus-positive cases,” said a health department official.

The chief minister specified how the coronavirus units should function in the districts.

“Please note that an isolation ward for coronavirus patients should have a separate entry and exit. The isolation wards should be away from general hospitals like district hospitals or the sub-divisional hospitals,” Mamata said.

This is the reason the state government has decided to take over private hospitals for a certain period of time as the majority of the government hospitals lack completely separate units to treat coronavirus patients.

“The next two weeks are vital for us.... We have to win the battle together. If we can break the chain (of the spread of the virus), we will win,” the chief minister said.

She advised the district magistrate of Jhargram, Ayesha Rani, to set up isolation wards for coronavirus patients at private healthcare establishments.

The official fumbled while trying to recall the name of the private establishments in her district. Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha took control of the situation and named two private hospitals in West Midnapore that are near Jhargram and asked the DM to hold discussions with them.

The district authorities of Burdwan East, Birbhum and North 24-Parganas had already made arrangements to set up special wards for coronavirus patients at private hospitals.

Mamata asked South 24-Parganas to requisition one or two more private hospitals for the purpose as the district has a huge population.

She underlined that most medical colleges in the state had facilities to set up isolation wards. “But this is an emergency situation and we have to prepare ourselves for an uncertain future.… This is why we need more facilities,” she said.

Chief secretary Sinha said that all district magistrates should complete the requisitioning process by Monday night and send a report to Nabanna by Tuesday morning.

Mamata said the state government had decided to increase the insurance coverage from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for the doctors, nurses, health workers, conservancy staff and ICDS and Asha workers engaged in the battle against the coronavirus.

Besides, she said, personal protective equipment would be sent to the districts from Monday evening as the companies with which orders had been placed had started supplying the equipment.

Mamata asked the district authorities to ensure that doctors, nurses and all the others fighting the coronavirus should be given enough food and other facilities so they can work properly.