The state health department has stepped up preparedness to fight the coronavirus by increasing the number of isolation beds in its hospitals and issuing a detailed advisory for the private health-care units.

No coronavirus case has yet been detected in Bengal.

The health-care authorities said they were reviewing the situation continuously and upgrading facilities.

“As the number of coronavirus cases is going up in India, we are increasing the number of isolation beds at government hospitals to stay prepared in the event of an outbreak. The beds in the isolation units must be at least one metre from each other,” a health department official said.

“It’s not that people with symptoms of possible coronavirus infection have to mandatorily go to a government hospital. They can go to a private hospital as well. If that hospital does not have isolation facilities, the person will be sent to a hospital that has such facilities.”

The Telegraph gives a low-down on the initiatives

Government hospitals

The health department has increased the number of isolation beds in its hospitals from 92 to 163 across the state.

Initially, people arriving at the airport from coronavirus-affected countries and suffering from cold, cough and fever were being sent to the government hospital for infectious diseases in Beleghata.

The hospital has 20 isolation beds for suspected coronavirus patients. But that is grossly inadequate. So, other government hospitals have been asked to set up isolation units.

“Now, hospitals in the districts are being asked to set up isolations units,” a health department official said.

Many of the government hospitals did not have the infrastructure to treat coronavirus patients, sources said. They were given three days to set up isolation wards.

Training sessions are being held at all government hospitals for the doctors, nurses and paramedics chosen for treating and handling coronavirus patients.

“Patients with symptoms of possible coronavirus infection will have to be isolated, tested and monitored in a hospital until they are put under home quarantine,” said an official.

The Telegraph

Private hospitals

The state health department has issued a three-page advisory for private hospitals. It calls for

• Creating separate waiting area for patients with symptoms of possible coronavirus infection
• Creating isolation units for patients admitted with coronavirus symptoms
• Arranging for protection of the health workers handling such patients.

Some of the hospitals said they had isolation beds.

“We have eight isolation units, which were set up to treat patients suffering from viral diseases such as swine flu,” said Pradip Tondon, the chief executive officer of Belle Vue Clinic.

An official at Medica Superspecialty Hospital said they, too, had set up an isolation unit. “We had single-bed isolation rooms. Now, we have set up a dedicated ward. The beds in the ward have been placed as directed by the government,” said Gandharv Roy, the chief operating officer of the hospital.

At all three AMRI Hospitals in the city, dedicated outpatient departments have been set up for patients with symptoms of possible coronavirus infection. “On Saturday, we’ll hold a meeting across all three units to finalise plans to set up isolation wards,” said an official of AMRI Hospitals.

An official of another private hospital said they needed more time to set up an isolation ward. “Such a ward needs separate AC ducts, which should not be linked to the main duct. Other measures, too, need to be taken,” the official said.