'Increase COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day': IMCT issues directives to West Bengal govt

Inter-Ministerial Central Team (ICMT) on Friday recommended West Bengal government to increase its COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day. suggestion was made after team visited Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute and Bangur hospital in Kolkata.

Apurva Chandra, Additional Secretary, Government of India, and head of IMCT wrote a letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, seeking a report on delay in COVID-19 test results.

" State government needs to submit a report on reason for long waiting time of COVID test results. For some patients, wait time is more than five days. Besides, government needs to increase COVID-19 tests to 2500-5000 per day."

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IMCT had visited CNCI and Bangur hospital to take stock of situation amid COVID-19 pandemic. Upon ir visit, team found that people were violating social distancing rms in waiting area in Bangur hospital.

Seeing that re were only 12 ventilator beds at Bangur hospital for its 354 critical COVID-19 patients, Chandra also urged state government to increase number of ventilators.

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Dead bodies kept in an open ward

letter to West Bengal Chief Secretary also pointed out that re were reports on social media claiming that several dead bodies were lying in open wards for hours before being taken to mortuary. Upon inquiry, it was informed that it takes at least four hours to issue a death certificate, after which body is shifted to a mortuary.

"It is t clear why a body should lie in a ward in full view of or patients and shifted to mortuary even while awaiting death certificate. Records may be furnished for how much time it takes to issue a death certificate and shift a body to mortuary," letter stated.

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(With inputs from ANI)