KOLKATA: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has sent out a stern message against raising alarm over unaudited death figures in Bengal. Banerjee warned that those spreading confusion over Covid-19 deaths may be arrested.
“I told the PM during video conference that the state government has set up an expert medical panel to audit death figures. Neither I nor the chief secretary is doing it. The Union health secretary was present at the video conference. Yet, some people are making secretive leaks on death figures. From where are they getting the confirmation? States are doing the work. You have to take the figures we give,” the CM said.
Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha put the death figures so far at seven. “The medical expert panel will meet today and do the audit. The death figures will be updated tomorrow following this exercise,” Sinha said.
Banerjee held that such efforts smack of politics. “Some people are trying to fish in troubled waters. This is not the time for communal virus or political virus. Let us all cooperate to fight the health virus. Let us surge ahead with a positive mind. A total 42 people have been cured. Doctors at Beliaghata ID Hospital and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital could do that. Some of the patients came with chronic kidney ailments, pneumonia and tuberculosis. They died,” the CM said. She urged people not to get scared. “Anyone can catch the infection. I may get the infection, too. But healthy people have been found to recover,” the CM said, adding that the DG CRPF is also under quarantine.
The CM also refuted charges brought by Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh who claimed the other day that the number of tests on people having fever and cough in Bengal is far less than the national average when Bengal caters to 17% of the country’s population. “We began the testing with two testing laboratories. Each of them has a maximum capacity of testing 100 swab samples. Now the number has increased. We are also ramping up tests. Today, a testing laboratory from Malda got the ICMR’s permission. But we can’t allow the laboratory to start testing from tomorrow. The laboratory doesn’t have trained technicians. The employees there are undergoing training,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister also set aside the demand for paramilitary forces to enforce the lockdown. “What will the paramilitary forces do here?” she asked.
The CM then went on the aggressive citing the flocking of migrant labourers at Bandra railway station in Maharashtra on Tuesday evening. “I talked to some of the migrant workers stranded at Khar West on Ambedkar Road. They had come to Bandra after rumour spread that a special train will be carrying them back home. I want to know who spread the rumour. Who did the mischief and why?” she asked.
On the same breath, Banerjee thanked the Maharashtra government for attending to the migrant workers from Bengal stranded in several places in Maharashtra. “The Centre had said it would provide food to migrant workers free of cost. In reality, states are doing the job. We have also set up 711 camps for workers from other states caught in Bengal,” the CM said.
“I told the PM during video conference that the state government has set up an expert medical panel to audit death figures. Neither I nor the chief secretary is doing it. The Union health secretary was present at the video conference. Yet, some people are making secretive leaks on death figures. From where are they getting the confirmation? States are doing the work. You have to take the figures we give,” the CM said.
Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha put the death figures so far at seven. “The medical expert panel will meet today and do the audit. The death figures will be updated tomorrow following this exercise,” Sinha said.
Banerjee held that such efforts smack of politics. “Some people are trying to fish in troubled waters. This is not the time for communal virus or political virus. Let us all cooperate to fight the health virus. Let us surge ahead with a positive mind. A total 42 people have been cured. Doctors at Beliaghata ID Hospital and North Bengal Medical College and Hospital could do that. Some of the patients came with chronic kidney ailments, pneumonia and tuberculosis. They died,” the CM said. She urged people not to get scared. “Anyone can catch the infection. I may get the infection, too. But healthy people have been found to recover,” the CM said, adding that the DG CRPF is also under quarantine.
The CM also refuted charges brought by Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh who claimed the other day that the number of tests on people having fever and cough in Bengal is far less than the national average when Bengal caters to 17% of the country’s population. “We began the testing with two testing laboratories. Each of them has a maximum capacity of testing 100 swab samples. Now the number has increased. We are also ramping up tests. Today, a testing laboratory from Malda got the ICMR’s permission. But we can’t allow the laboratory to start testing from tomorrow. The laboratory doesn’t have trained technicians. The employees there are undergoing training,” Banerjee said.
The chief minister also set aside the demand for paramilitary forces to enforce the lockdown. “What will the paramilitary forces do here?” she asked.
The CM then went on the aggressive citing the flocking of migrant labourers at Bandra railway station in Maharashtra on Tuesday evening. “I talked to some of the migrant workers stranded at Khar West on Ambedkar Road. They had come to Bandra after rumour spread that a special train will be carrying them back home. I want to know who spread the rumour. Who did the mischief and why?” she asked.
On the same breath, Banerjee thanked the Maharashtra government for attending to the migrant workers from Bengal stranded in several places in Maharashtra. “The Centre had said it would provide food to migrant workers free of cost. In reality, states are doing the job. We have also set up 711 camps for workers from other states caught in Bengal,” the CM said.
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