The Mamata Banerjee government has decided to construct 133 additional Covid-19 wards across Bengal at the earliest as part of a Centre-led programme to ramp up the health infrastructure to deal with the pandemic.

“Administrative approval for 133 additional Covid-19 wards was accorded on April 7. A total of Rs 307.76 crore has been allotted for the first phase of the project. Work for the project would start soon,” said a senior government official.

Of the 133 wards, 16 would be of 100 beds, four would consist of 50 beds each and the remaining 113 would have 20 beds each.

“The project is carried out under the Centre’s India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Package -Phase-II (ECRP, Phase -II). The funding pattern of the scheme is 60:40 which means the state has to shoulder 40 per cent of the expenditure,” said a senior Nabanna official.

Under the scheme, a total of Rs 1,007.93 crore would be spent in Bengal to develop health infrastructure. The Centre would provide Rs 604.76 crore and the state has to spend Rs 403.17 crore.

Senior officials said the project is considered significant in Bengal for two reasons.

First, it would upgrade the health infrastructure at the grassroots level.

“Under this project, 113 wards with 20 beds would be set up at rural hospitals and block primary hospitals. This means if a fresh Covid-19 wave or any other infectious disease raises its head, the situation could be handled much more efficiently throughout the state and nobody has to depend on Calcutta hospitals anymore,” said a senior health department official.

Second, construction of so many wards, particularly in remote areas, will expand economic activities. “Construction of the new hospital wards would infuse more than Rs 300 crore into the rural and remote areas. This will expand economic activities in rural areas,” said another official.

28 Covid cases

Bengal on Saturday reported 28 new Covid-19 cases, 37 recoveries and no death. There are 481 active cases in Bengal, according to the state bulletin on Saturday. The positive confirmation rate is 0.24 per cent and recovery rate 98.93 per cent.