COVID-19 in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee appeals to doctors, nurses to be humane and not refuse patients; active cases now 38

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that the number of active Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in the state is now 38. After releasing three persons – the first three persons who had tested positive in Kolkata – nine more will be discharged later today, she said. Banerjee was addressing a press conference at state administrative headquarters Nabanna.

She said that the expert team of the state has observed that people who are not suffering from any other serious ailments are responding well to the treatment and recovering fully from COVID-19. There is thus no reason to panic about COVID-19, Banerjee said.

Banerjee warned “some people in some hospitals” who were refusing to admit COVID-19 patients. She said that it is the task of the government to decide which hospital will be set up to treat COVID-19 patients, which will be set up as isolation wards. She said that the government had taken a number of factors into consideration to decide how to designate a particular hospital for the treatment, so that while those who tested positive got treatment and at the same time others in the hospital did not get infected.

According to the law, the government has the power to convert any building for treating patients in such situations, she clarified. She appealed to doctors, nurses, other workers in hospitals and people in general to be sensitive to the situation and act humane. She cautioned these hospitals that the government has the power to acquire public facilities under the National Disaster Management Act.

The CM alleged that some political leaders from the opposition parties are instigating people by spreading false news saying that the food in ration shops are being entirely provided by the Centre and urged them to not engage in petty politics at this time of emergency.