Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the number of beds at government hospitals was being increased and asked private health-care units to be prepared to treat Covid-19 patients.
The chief minister held a meeting at Nabanna with the representatives of private hospitals and private diagnostic centres, state government officials and police officers.
She announced that more isolation beds would be set up at the government-run Infectious Diseases and Beleghata General Hospital. The hospital has 22 beds for Covid-19 patients. The count will go up to 100, Mamata announced.
At the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, a 50-bed isolation ward will be set up on a temporary basis at the newly constructed night shelter for relatives of patients.
“For isolation, we have kept two places at the cancer hospital in Rajarhat and NBCC. Those are ready. Although the cancer hospital is a big place, there are 30 people there now. I will tell Vivek (health secretary Vivek Kumar) to remove positive cases from quarantine… we can use it. Beleghata ID hospital is under a great deal of pressure… they are doing a wonderful job, convey my thanks to all concerned there,” she said.
“At RG Kar, the new night shelter will be converted into a 50-bed ward. Later, we will paint and sanitise it, and make it new and give it back to you or make a new one for you elsewhere. Do this for now, emergency situation,” she added.
At MR Bangur hospital in south Calcutta, she said an additional 150 beds would be set up for Covid-19 patients.
“Total 300 beds are getting ready. Plus, with the cancer hospital in Rajarhat and the adjacent building which are for quarantine, we can accommodate 500 more beds, keeping ready as an emergency,” said Mamata.
“In Howrah, for instance, we heard the Dumurjola stadium is newly built but no sporting activity is taking place there yet. Let them set up more beds there and we’ll later return it like new,” she said.
Mamata also said the state government had requisitioned 300 ventilators, 70 of which have arrived. “If any private hospital wants, they can procure ventilators through us,” she said.
“Anything you need, by way of masks, gloves, protective suits, thermal scanners… anything, just requisition with the health department, we will help out. The safety and well-being of healthcare professionals have to be prioritised.”
The chief minister then asked the private hospitals one by one how many isolation beds they have set up. She also asked the hospitals to be ready to send doctors to government hospitals during emergency.
“She said there is a shortage of doctors at government hospitals and asked whether we can provide them doctors, especially on weekends, if needed. We have agreed to her proposal,” the CEO of a private hospital said.
Most hospitals said they have set up isolation wards and have kept aside some private rooms, too. The representatives said they were facing a shortage of hand sanitisers and protective gear such as face masks and gloves.
“We are in the process of procuring two lakh masks. There will be two lakh more, if necessary. We are also procuring 30,000 gloves and special gowns,” said Mamata. She also asked the private hospitals to requisition hand sanitisers, thermal scanners and specially sanitised ambulances through the health department.
The chief minister also asked all hospitals, government and private, to install public address system. “Make announcements if the OPD at one hospital is overcrowded but not so at another hospital,” she said. “At ID hospital and other places, we will keep two-four-six sanitised ambulances ready, to take patients elsewhere.”
She urged doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to take necessary precautions themselves. “Your lives, your well-being are extremely important,” she said.
