Five persons who had tested positive for Covid-19 died in Siliguri in the past 24 hours. A 65-year-old resident of Siliguri died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) late last night, sources said. It is learnt that two more persons–an 80year-old resident of Ward 38 and a 72-year-old resident of Darjeeling died in the Desun (Covid) Hospital at Kawakahli.

A 75-year-old resident of Mateli in Jalpaiguri district and a 70-year-old woman of Aurobinda Pally, Siliguri, died in a private nursing home.

93 fresh cases in Darjeeling district

Meanwhile, Darjeeling district registered 93 fresh cases, while the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area recorded 42 cases, including 25 in areas that fall under Darjeeling district, sources said.

Seventeen cases have been recorded in Matigara, 13 in Naxalbari, eight in Kharibari, and four in Phansidewa blocks. Twelve cases were also found in Bijanbari, seven at Sukna, three cases in Darjeeling Municipality, three in Takdah, and one in Kurseong Municipality. Also, 81 Covid patients have been discharged from different health facilities and home isolation after they were cured, Darjeeling district officials said.

Meanwhile, a woman did not allow her husband to enter her house at Eastern Bypass in Siliguri after he told her he had tested positive for the virus. Police from the Ashighar poutpost later intervened and admited the 40- year-old daily wage-earner in a ‘safe home’ treatment centre in the Rajganj Block.

Ambulance ‘fleeces’ patient party

In Siliguri, there were allegations today that ambulances at private nursing homes had been fleecing patient parties in lack of proper monitoring. Family members of the 75-year-old person of Mateli who died at a private health facility at Hakim Para had to bear the brunt when it came to cremating the body. They alleged that a private ambulance operator first asked for Rs 20,000 to carry the body to Mateli, while until this time the family members were not aware that he had been tested positive for Covid-19.

“He had suffered a cardiac arrest and had been admitted in the nursing home. He died today. We approached an ambulance operator and they demanded Rs 20,000 for a trip to Mateli,” said a family member.

Later, when the family members came to know that the deceased had tested positive, they requested another ambulance operator to take the body for cremation at Sahudangi, the dedicated crematorium for Covid-19 patients, on the outskirts of Siliguri. It is learnt that the ambulance charged Rs 8,000 for the around eight-km distance (from the nursing home).

Administrative officers said if any Covid patient dies in a government-run facility, the government pays Rs 5,000 to the ambulance or the hearse for the body to be taken to the crematorium. “There are many ambulances which are reluctant to let their vehicles be used by Covid patients. We have received some complaints that some ambulances charged exorbitant rates. We have intervened and warned them,” said an official.

Morcha leader tests positive for virus

Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha leader from Sukna in the plains, Tshering Dahal, was tested positive for Covid-19 today. According to Mrs Dahal, she had fever since yesterday and visited the primary health centre at Sukna near Siliguri where a rapid antigen test for Covid-19 was conducted today.

She also said that the fever has now subsided and that she does not have any other symptom. A team of health personnel from Dr Chhang’s (Covid) Hospital in Siliguri later reached her residence and took her to the hospital.

Hill Covid patient goes missing

A 34-year-old woman, who had tested positive for Covid19, from Tukvar area in Darjeeling has gone missing from the Tribeni Covid Hospital in Kalimpong where she was undergoing treatment.

Officials said that she was admitted in the Darjeeling district hospital on 22 August and that she had tested positive in a Rapid Antigen Test. She was then taken to Tribeni.

“After not finding her in the jungles nearby, information regarding this was given to the police,” said the GTA Health and Family Welfare executive director, Samden Dukpa, in a video clip, where he also appealed to the people to provide information on her. According to the official, she was not mentally stable.