Amid talk of a possible third wave and efforts being made by all concerned to tackle the same, a Covid-19 safe home for women and children was opened at Jesu Ashram at Matigara in Siliguri today.

According to doctors, the 30-bed facility with oxygen support for children was the first in the whole of north Bengal.

“The safe home has been arranged for as part of the preparedness of the healthcare system in view of the widely anticipated third wave of Covid-19,” said the chairperson of the board of administrators of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Gautam Deb, while inaugurating the safe home.

Many epidemiologists have already indicated that a third wave is inevitable and that it would be harder on children, while a section of health experts have also underscored that the impact of the wave could be minimized to a great extent by observing the Covid-appropriate behaviour.

The mentor of the safe home and a gynecologist of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Dr Sandip Sengupta, said the facility for the children was first of its kind in north Bengal.

“The infrastructure has been created for the treatment of women and children. General doctors, pediatricians, and nursing staff have been posted there. This safe home for children is the first of its kind in north Bengal,” Dr Sengupta said.

He also warned people against dropping their guard.

Dr Sengupta said people should keep following all Covid protocols and should get vaccinated at the earliest opportunity.

It is learnt that children below 14 years will be treated in the safe home.

The project has been implemented by the Matigara block and Darjeeling district health department and facilitated by the Child in Need Institute and Darjeeling Jesuits of North Bengal.

Darjeeling District Magistrate S Ponnambalam said the health infrastructure had been strengthened from the grassroots level for a possible third wave.

“Beds have been augmented at the block level health centres, and paediatric intensive care units have been set up,” he said.

One more fungus death

A 55-year-old resident of North Dinajpur district who had tested positive for mucormycosis and Covid19 died in the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital today, sources said.

Covid patients die

Around two persons who had tested positive for Covid19 died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital today, sources said.

163 new Covid cases in Darjeeling district

Darjeeling district recorded 163 new Covid-19 cases today, while the Siliguri Municipal Corporation areas, including those under Jalpaiguri district, counted 73 cases, sources said.

Meanwhile, 265 persons have recovered in the past 24 hours in the district, the sources said.

Twenty-four cases were detected in Matigara, 23 in Naxalbari, 20 in Sukna, 13 in Bijanbari, seven in Kharibari, four each in Darjeeling Municipality and Takdah, three each in Phansidewa, Mirik Municipality and Sukhia Pokhari, and two cases each in Mirik and Kurseong Municipality.