The Bengal health department has released around 2,000 beds for Covid-19 at 16 private hospitals across the state as number of active patients came down substantially over the past week and the existing infrastructure at government-run healthcare facilities is lying unused.

“There were 2,416 beds for Covid patients at 29 private hospitals in the state. In an order on Monday evening, the state government has released 1,951 such beds at 16 hospitals,” said a senior health department official.

“In the order, however, it is noted that the government might take over those beds and hospitals again with a notice of three days,” he added.

In the peak of the second wave when the daily positive confirmation rate had reached close to 33 per cent, the government took over a large number of private hospitals and nursing homes in Calcutta and elsewhere in the state to quickly augment capacity for treatment of Covid patients.

“If you look at the daily report of Covid-19 across the state, many districts have been reporting very few cases. In some cases (such as Murshidabad and Purulia), the number of new infections detected in a day has come down to single digits,” said an official.

Overall, the state’s total of active cases has come down from the second wave peak of 1.32 lakh on May 21 to 22,000-odd now. With it, the bed occupancy at Covid hospitals came down from nearly 38 per cent on May 21 to less than 10.

“So, retaining all the infrastructure and engaging our officials and staff is not needed for now. We can use the available human resources for vaccination instead, for instance,” he added.

The 16 private hospitals whose Covid beds were completely released are in nine districts of Birbhum, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, North Dinajpur, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Nadia, East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

The number of beds requisitioned has been reduced at three private hospitals in Calcutta too.

In Birbhum, only 35 fresh Covid cases were reported on Monday and only six persons were admitted to the government hospital in Suri. In East Burdwan, only two patients are currently hospitalised.

“There is an additional cost to engage private hospitals and more importantly to post doctors and other staff there as they can be used for other work. If there are no patients, then there is no need for these additional hospital beds right now. However, we can’t guarantee the cases will not rise next week,” said a senior official in East Burdwan.

The state government has asked districts to ensure pipeline-based oxygen supply or oxygen generating plants at every government-run Covid hospital before the possible third wave.

Bankura district magistrate K. Radhika Aiyar said: “There are four Covid hospitals in our district and one in Barjora already has an oxygen plant. We will install an oxygen plant at the remaining three facilities as soon as possible.”