Hospitals in East Midnapore are facing acute crisis of beds for Covid-19 patients and the facilities could not adhere to the state health department’s directive of maintaining stipulated covid beds in the district due to the shortage of health care staff.

The state health department had issued a directive last week asking government hospitals to create 500 Covid-19 beds in the district and private hospitals to allocate 25 per cent beds for such patients.

Currently, the district has 50 beds at the Baroma Covid hospital and 50 beds at a private hospital in Chandipur, all of which were occupied. The facility at Chandipur reportedly admitted 50 more patients.

None of the district’s seven hospitals — including one each super speciality facility in Nandigram, Panskura and Egra, and one each sub-divisional hospitals in Contai, Egra and Haldia, and the Tamluk district hospital — have been able to add a single bed in the past week owing to shortage of health care staff.

East Midnapore is recording an average of 400 new cases daily for over the past week.

On Saturday, the Sanjukta Morcha backed by the CPM wrote to the district magistrate demanding urgent action on the issue.

“The state has failed the people in this crucial time. The ruling party and the district administration should take steps immediately,” said Niranjan Sihi, the CPM’s district secretary. “Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has contested from Nandigram even though the super speciality hospital there has not added one bed.”

The district health department sources said they were aware of the inadequacies but had been unable to source adequate health care staff. Also, there was no proper oxygen supply in the district.

A 30-year-old youth recovering at the Chandipur hospital expressed his concern. “My mother’s condition is deteriorating, also in the same ward, as the medical attention has been below average.”

A.K. Mudi, the superintendent of Nandigram super speciality hospital, said: “If I have to start a 100-bed ward, I need 15 medical officers, 40 health care staff and 12 Group-D staff as well as adequate oxygen supply. I have informed the health department and awaiting their reply.”

The chief medical officer (health), East Midnapore, Bibhas Ray, said: “We are coordinating with the hospitals and beds will be available soon.”

On Saturday, a meeting was held between the health department and the district administration over the crisis.