In order to minimise the morbidity and mortality of Covid19 patients admitted in different designated hospitals and Covid wards in other hospitals, the state health department has directed round-the-clock clinical assessment of patients, monitoring of clinical and investigation parameters and adherence to treatment protocols.

An advisory issued by the department of health and family welfare yesterday said that the principals of medical colleges and the district chief medical officers of health will designate a nodal officer for every medical college and hospital in the district treating Covid-19 patients. With the advent of the second wave of Covid-19, the situation has worsened, and the high mortality rate has put a huge burden on hospitals and the entire healthcare system.

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The nodal officers will liaison with the Protocol Monitoring Team and flag priorities for visit discussion by the team. They will ensure implementation of the recommendations of the team.

The department has also said that the designated hospitals and hospitals where Covid-19 patients are treated should constitute an inhouse ‘Covid Patient Management-cum-Outcome Review Committee’ headed by the medical superintendent and vice principal (MSVP) concerned / superintendent of the hospital and comprising the nodal officer, representatives of faculties, medical officers, medical officer of the Critical Care Unit /High Dependency Unit, nursing superintendent and other nursing officials.

“The committee members should sit together at least twice a week and review the medical aspects of patient care. They will go through the treatment records of selected deaths and currently admitted critical cases to identify scopes for improvement and recommend future course of action… the committee should make necessary capacity building of the faculties, doctors and other staff, and they should monitor decongestion of the wards with rational bed allocation and bed turnover. The MSVP/Superintendent and nursing superintendent should also make regular rounds in the Covid wards…” the advisory reads.

Covid ward for children As many children are testing positive for the virus during the second wave of infections as compared to the first, the pediatric ward has arranged for treatment of positive and suspected cases in children. A new facility has been started at the NBMCH today. The dean of student affairs at the NBMCH, Dr Sandip Sengupta, said 12 beds had been arranged for children who test positive for Covid-19, along with an equal number of beds for children suffering from suspected Covid-19 symptoms.

“Two beds with ventilators will be there for positive children and two more beds with ventilators for children suffering from severe acute respiratory infection. We will try to arrange for more beds,” Dr Sengupta said. Some newborns have recently died of Covid-19 at the NBMCH. A pediatrician said ventilators meant for children are different from that for adults. The doses of medicines for children are also different from those meant for adults.

Dr Sengupta said preparations were made for children in a bid to curtail the effects of a possible third wave of Covid-19, which according toexperts, could largely affect children. 467 fresh Cases in Darjeeling district Darjeeling district today recorded 467 new Covid-19 cases. The Siliguri Municipal Corporation, including the 14 wards that fall in Jalpaiguri district, counted 301 cases, sources said.

Meanwhile, a significant number of the people have recovered from Covid-19 at 569 in the last 24 hours. Sixty-seven cases were found in Matigara Block, 49 in Naxalbari, 28 in Mirik, 24 in Phansidewa, 13 in Sukna, 12 in Bijanbari, eight in Kharibari, seven each in Sukhia Pokhari and Takdah, five in Darjeeling Municipality, and four cases in Kurseong Municipality.

Nine Covid patients die Nine persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19, died in Siliguri today, sources said. According to the sources, five died in the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital and four others in private nursing homes.

Nursing staff allege assault The  nursing staff of a Matigara-based  private  hospital in Siliguri has filed a police complaint against the owner and  his associate of the hospital for allegedly assaulting them  physically in the nursing home. The management also allegedly threatened the staff of strict action. Police later arrested one person bsed on the complaint, sources said.