IMCT team in Kolkata in letters to Bengal Chief Secretary raises multiple questions on Covid treatment, deaths

In the first letter, IMCT chief Apurva Chandra has sought for multiple clarifications from the state government regarding the delay of test reports of the patients, who are admitted in government quarantine centre as well as in Covid hospitals.

"There were a large number of patients in the isolation wards of Rajarhat's Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) as well as M.R. Bangur hospital awaiting Covid test results for five days or  longer," IMCT chief Apurva Chandra wrote in the letter amid a Centre-state row over the management of Covid-19 by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal.

"Specifically at CNCI, there were four patients since Apr 16 awaiting test result, two since Apr 17, and three since Apr 18," Apurva Chandra wrote.

"Some of the patients have tested negative, and it is not clear why the test results should take such a long time and there is a danger of Covid negative patient acquiring the infection in the hospital while awiating his test result," Chandra wrote.

IMCT chief also said that they found during the inspection that social distancing norms were not being followed properly at the waiting area of M.R. Bangur hospital.

"The patient admission at Bangur hospital appears to be chaotic and there was no social distancing in the waiting area while two of the patients to be in very poor health but there was no medical support available," Apurva Chandra mentioned in the letter to CS.

"The patients are referred to Bangur hospital from other medical facilities. It seems the patients are left on their own report to the hospital and are not escorted, this would always leave the scope for some patients not turning up or  delaying reporting to the hospital," Chandra wrote.

Mentioning the inadequate arrangements of ventilators at M.R. Bangur Covid hospital, IMCT chief wrote: "There are only 12 ventilator beds available in Bangur hospital even though the hospital caters to 354 serious Covid patients."

"When asked, the IMCT was informed that in case a patient requires ventilation support and ventilator is not available, the patient is transferred to some other facilities - records in this regard may be made available," Chandra wrote.

Talking about a recent viral social media footage of dead bodies lying unattended for hours inside the isolation ward of M.R. Bangur hospital, the IMCT wrote, "On inquiry, it was informed that it is possible that dead bodies are lying on bed in a ward as it takes at least four hours to issue a death certificate, after which the body is shifted to the mortuary."

"It is not clear why a body should lie in a ward in full view of other patients and not shifted to the 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," IMCT chief wrote.

The IMCT also questioned the low rate of Covid-19 testing in the state.

Meanwhile, in the second letter to Chief Secretary, IMCT chief asked about the methodology of work of the expert committee, which is auditing and declaring the number of Covid deaths in the state.

"The Principal Secretary (Health) in his presentation on Apr 23 gave some reasons for establishment of the committee of doctors and also mentioned that if a Covid patient dies in a road accident, he can not be said to have died of Covid. The IMCT did not find the reasoning convincing as there is no comparison between a road death and a death in a hospital due to disease," Apurva Chandra wrote.

The IMCT chief has sought for a detailed report about the functioning and methodology of the doctors's committee which is declaring Covid deaths.

However, the IMCT in Kolkata is presently visiting a government quarantine facility in Dumurjola in Howrah city while another IMCT deployed to north Bengal is inspecting the situation at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri.