Four persons undergoing treatment for suspected Covid19 symptoms have died in Siliguri in the past 24 hours.

The deaths occurred at the Desun Hospital, which the government has taken over to treat suspected Covid patients. The deceased, including a woman, are from Siliguri, Islampur in North Dinajpur and Meteli in the Dooars.

However, Darjeeling’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Pralay Acharya said Covid-19 tests were conducted on all the four and that the reports were negative. A 70-year-old resident of Islampur, who was admitted there on 9 May after being referred to by the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), died today, while a 38-year-old woman of Pradhannagar in Siliguri died yesterday.

She was admitted in the ICU on 9 May.

A 59-year-old resident of Sukanta Pally in Siliguri was admitted on 9 May after he was referred by the Siliguri District Hospital, and he died yesterday. A tea worker from Meteli died yesterday after being admitted the same day.

“The swab tests have been conducted and we are waiting for the reports,” said the Darjeeling district chief medical officer of health (CMOH), Dr Pralay Acharya.

Family members of the 47-year-old from Meteli alleged lack of proper treatment on the part of the NBMCH authorities.

“My father had been suffering from TB. He was having breathing problems on Friday and we took him immediately to the nearby health centre and later in Jalpaiguri the same day. “The breathing trouble developed again on Sunday and the doctors referred him to the NBMCH.

But at the NBMCH, the doctors simply referred him to Desun Hospital without examining him, apprehending Covid symptoms,” the son of the deceased said.

Plans for migrant workers The administration and the health department are making preparations to deal with an exodus of migrant workers who will be arriving in the region from different states in the next few days.

Administrative officials said many will be arriving in buses, but that the number of workers from Darjeeling and Kalimpong are less as compared to other districts. “Screenings would be conducted at railway stations and bus terminals. After that, they will be kept at quarantine facilities.

All necessary arrangements have been made,” said the officer on special duty for Covid-19 in north Bengal, Dr Susanta Kumar Roy.