The Darjeeling district health department has sought around 21 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine for persons above 18 years, who will be eligible to take them from 1 May.
Around 2.5 people have been vaccinated with the first doses in the district so far. Hundreds of people in Siliguri aged between 18 and 44 years are trying to book slots for the vaccination through the Co-WIN portal.
“We have not received specific guidelines on the inoculation of the persons above 18 years. The department has sought around 14 lakh doses for government-run vaccination centres and seven lakh more for private sites in the district,” a senior health department official said today.
According to officials, around 2.5 lakh people, including healthcare and frontline workers, and persons over 45 years of age have received the first doses, when the target population was around 12 lakh.
Meanwhile, the Siliguri Welfare Organisation had demanded that the Covid vaccination drive be made free of cost. It said more vaccination sites should also be introduced.
Covid patient found hanging
A 31-year-old ambulance operator, who had tested positive for Covid-19, allegedly committed suicide in his room at Rangapani near Siliguri today. “He had gone into a panic mode after the test reports confirmed that he had the virus yesterday. He had gone to the barrage at Fulbari and called me from there that he would jump from there. I rushed to the spot and brought him back home. I last talked to him at 11.30 pm last night. I told him that I would take him to the nursing home today. In the wee hours, we found him hanging from the ceiling in his room,” the father of the deceased said. Health personnel from the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) recovered the body by wearing PPE suits. Police said they have started investigations. The deceased is survived by his wife and son.
Organisations demand nursing homes’ takeover
As Covid-19 cases keep rising steeply, voluntary organistations have demanded requisition of more private health facilities for Covid-19 treatment in view of the paucity of beds. The Siliguri Welfare Organistation advised that marriage halls, and compounds of schools and clubs could be used as safe homes.
“The second wave has exposed an acute shortage of critical care, oxygen and beds. The infrastructure is limited according to the number of the daily cases. Therefore, we believe that more private health facilities should be requisitioned as Covid treatment centres,” said the secretary of the organization, Rupak De Sarkar.
In a memorandum served to the district chief medical officer of health Dr Pralay Acharya, the organization underlined the necessity of free and prompt supply of oxygen to all the needy patients. Mr De Sarkar said they demanded oxygen plants be set up in each district hospital and medical college. It further demanded more RT-PCR testing facilities to cater to a large number of Covid-19 suspects, effective steps against hoarding and black marketing of oxygen, life saving drugs, masks, and “unscrupulous” nursing home owners for charging exorbitant treatment costs.
16 Covid patients die
Sixteen persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 died in Siliguri in the past 24 hours, sources said. Twelve of the patients died at the NBMCH. A 78-year-old resident of Ashram Para died at the NBMCH yesterday, while a 61-year-old resident of Matigara also died there. A 78-yearold resident of Lake Town also died yesterday, and a 45- year-old resident of Champasri, a 68- year-old resident of Bagdogra, a 69-year-old resident of Desh Bandhu Para died there yesterday. A 66-yearold resident of Subhas Pally died today. An 88-year-old resident of Sukanta Pally in Siliguri, a 63- year-old resident of Alipurduar district and 65-year-old resident of Purnia in Bihar died in a same private nursing home at Sevoke Road.
Left Front on Covid-19 awareness drive
The Darjeeling district Left Front launched awareness programmes on Covid-19 today. Activists distributed leaflets among the people. Former Siliguri mayor and senior CPI-M leader Asok Bhattacharya held both the governments responsible for the “poor planning and preparedness” for the situation.
“We will continue the awareness programmes. Both the Centre and the state government were unprepared. Advance planning and foresight could have prevented this alarming situation,” Mr Bhattacharya said.
337 new cases in Darjeeling district Meanwhile, Darjeeling district recorded 337 fresh cases of Covid-19, while the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, including areas under Jalpaiguri district, registered 214 cases, sources said. Eighty-eight cases have been detected in Matigara, 41 in Naxalbari, seven in Darjeeling Municipality, six each in Sukna and Mirik, four in Phansidewa, three each in Bijanbari, Sukhia Pokhari and Takdah, and one case in Bijanbari.