Covid-19: Amid Centre-state data mismatch, Oppn accuses Mamata-govt of suppression

Opposition leaders continued to slam the West Bengal government as the Covid-19 data provided by the Central Health Ministry and the state health department are still not matching with each other, at a time when the country is in a crucial phase in fight against the pandemic killing countless across the world. 

According to Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare's Sunday update, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 positive cases in the state has reached 310, which includes 12 deaths and 62 recovery cases, while West Bengal Health and Family Welfare department's Sunday evening bulletin said that there were 198 active Covid-19 positive cases in the state.

The state bulletin also said that 66 people had been cured so far and the number of fatalities caused by novel coronavirus remained at 12 in Bengal.

Questioning the data mismatch, Bengal opposition leaders accused the state government of hiding state's Covid-19 count.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh alleged that the TMC-government was hiding the actual Covid-19 statistics as well as the death count.

"To hide the exact Covid-19 death figure, TMC government in West Bengal is vanishing Covid-19 victims' bodies," Ghosh alleged.

"Covid-19 situation in the state will get worse if West Bengal government keeps hiding and suppressing exact statistics," Ghosh added.

His party colleague and fashion designer Agnimitra Paul in a Facebook live said doctors and nurses are becoming victims because of lack of equipment and PPE gears.

She alleged that it is surprising that in the state government's special medical panel on Covid-19, there are no virologists or respiratory medicine specialists. 

Claiming the same, Left leaders demanded an immediate release of a proper Covid-19 statistics and maximum number of sample testing in the state.

"Since beginning, we have been claiming that West Bengal government is hiding Covid-19 tally and suppressing truth which is dangerous while fighting against a viral disease like novel coronavirus," CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty said.

"There were several cases in West Bengal, where patients' samples had tested positive for Covid-19 before or after death, but the state government is claiming that those deaths were caused by 'multiple organ failure' and they have set up an expert committee which is surprisingly 'analyzing' the cause of death of those patients who had already tested Covid-19 positive," Chakraborty added. 

"On Sunday (Apr 19), maintaining all precautions and social distancing norms, we staged a token demonstration at Red Road demanding exact Covid-19 data and maximum tests, and the state police forcibly lifted our peaceful agitation, manhandled our senior leaders and arrested all," he said.

Leader of Congress, another major opposition party in the state, also questioned the mismatch between these two data provided by the state and the Centre.

Countering all the allegations of Covid-19 related statistics suppression by the state government, ruling TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien said, "We in West Bengal are focused on the task in hand, we are carrying on with our work and it is this that has ensured Bengal's Covid-19 parameters are better than most."

"We have worked hard, been first movers and prepared early, and there's still a job to be done and there is no room for complacency," Derek O'Brien added. "The rumours and mischief have to be responded to - with facts, figures and public health logic."

"We are fighting Corona, but the opposition parties in the state are fighting TMC, and putting politics before a health emergency is a shame," he said.

Notably, countering the Bengal government's claim that there were minimum Covid-19 test kits available in the state, the Director of ICMR-NICED in Kolkata, Shanta Dutta, on April 13 confirmed that there was no shortage of Covid-19 test kits in their lab, but they were not getting enough samples from the state for test.

Yesterday in a series of tweets almost a week after her claims, the state's health department said the kits available for Covid-19 tests by ICMR-NICED were flawed and hence there were delays in testing of samples. 

A report in The Hindu quoted NICED (National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease) on Monday admitting the problem.

“This has been noted by the ICMR as well..... It is unfortunate that the kits are not standardised by the manufacturer to give exact results... It is difficult for each of the medical college to standardise the kits... hence they are showing different and inconclusive results. The matter is being seriously addressed by the ICMR,” NICED director Shanta Dutta told The Hindu.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she was unable to understand the basis on which the Centre has taken the decision to deploy two Inter-Ministerial Central teams to seven districts of West Bengal for making spot-assessment of the COVID-19 situation.

In a restrained tweet, Banerjee has also cited the violation of the federal structure of the country by sending the team to her state.

Banerjee tweeted, "We welcome all constructive support & suggestions, especially from the Central Govt in negating the #Covid19 crisis. However, the basis on which Centre is proposing to deploy IMCTs in select districts across India including few in WB under Disaster Mgmt Act 2005 is unclear."

"I urge both Honb’le Prime Minister @NarendraModi Ji & Home Minister @AmitShah Ji to share the criterion used for this. Until then I am afraid, we would not be able to move ahead on this as without valid reasons this might not be consistent with the spirit of federalism."