The number of new Covid cases has dropped sharply but at several hospitals the percentage of critical patients is higher than those in the general ward, said doctors and officials of healthcare facilities.
On Tuesday, June 22, Bengal reported 1,852 Covid cases and 47 deaths. According to the state health department data, 9.67 per cent of the total Covid beds were occupied.
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One month back, on May 22, 18,863 new cases were detected in the state and there were 154 deaths. On that day, 37.58 per cent of the Covid beds were occupied.
Doctors and officials of several hospitals said although the bed occupancy had come down drastically along with fresh cases, the percentage of critical patients was high.
Private hospitals seek Covid vaccine clarity Some said they might not be in a position to provide infrastructure and personnel for the if it goes on for an indefinite period
The Centre is planning to start Covid-19 vaccination for two priority groups among the general public and private hospitals are asking how long they will have to provide infrastructure for the campaign and whether they need to allot more space and personnel.
Some private hospitals said they might not be in a position to provide infrastructure and personnel for the vaccination programme if it goes on for an indefinite period. Others said they are ready to vaccinate the general public.
Will make way for another
Dulal Basu, 77, ENT surgeon: I had tested positive for Covid on October 22 and was admitted to Peerless Hospital for 10 days. Recently, I got tested for Covid antibody and the levels were quite high. So, I can do without a vaccine for maybe a month or two. That is why I decided not to take the vaccine in this phase.
I feel that everyone should take a Covid-19 vaccine as that is the most effective way to fight the pandemic.
Since I have developed strong antibodies against Covid, I want to make way for a colleague who has not been infected by the virus. I have heard limited doses of the vaccine have arrived and so it will be unethical of me to get the vaccine now despite knowing that I have developed antibodies.
Updated Dec 29, 2020 | 13:31 IST
If a patient has not undergone the test and is not even aware of Covid and subsequent recovery, doctors would have to wonder about the different types of disease, if he comes up with an issue. Number of people turning up for Covid tests in West Bengal falls, experts sound alarm | Photo Credit: AP
Kolkata: The city doctors are worried about the apathy among the common people to get them tested for Covid. The number of people turning up for tests has fallen over the last few weeks.
The number of people coming for Covid tests across the state has fallen from 47,000 a month-and-a-half back to just 32,000 on an average across 99 labs, according to health department officials. They are attributing the fall to an increasing sense of reluctance towards visiting clinics for tests.
A group of Calcuttans is running awareness campaigns in the city urging people to refrain from burning waste, which damages lungs and can have serious impact on people who have recovered from Covid-19.
The novel coronavirus, which causes Covid, is known to affect the functioning of the lungs. A good number of people suffer from breathing problems even weeks after recovering from Covid, doctors said.
Several members of the group, Covid Care, are putting up posters with the message to not burn waste. The group, comprising mostly people who have recovered from Covid or their family members, was formed to help Covid patients in home isolation get their essential supplies such as medicines and food. But its members are now also focusing on issues like air pollution.