A20-bed field hospital for Covid-19 patients is all set to be operational in Siliguri tomorrow. A joint initiative of the Siliguri Welfare Organisation, Liver Foundation, Kolkata, ICC north Bengal chapter, and Forum for Humanity, the facility will ensure health services to patients provided by a team of reputed doctors in Siliguri and nursing staff.

“The facility will be functional with 20 beds tomorrow and it is free of cost. All the beds will have oxygen cylinders. Covid-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms and low oxygen saturation will be given treatment there free of cost. Senior doctors and specialists who are experienced enough to handle Covid-19 patients will visit the hospital. People belonging to the economically weaker section of society, who are unable to spend money for treatment, will be given preference at the facility,” said the working president of the Siliguri Welfare Organisation, Abhijit Majumder.

There will be 12 beds for male patients and eight for females. The hospital also has some oxygen concentrators. Five resident medical officers (RMO) will be stationed there and one officer will remain posted at the field hospital for 24 hours. The RMO will first screen the patients decide whether they match the category of the disease to get admission in the hospital, it is learnt. The nursing staff and housekeeping will work in shifts.

The first floor of a multistoried building at Tinbatti More will be meant for treatment of patients, while the second floor will be used for the RMO and nursing staff to stay. Mr Majumder said the infrastructure there has been planned to cater to patients for at least three months from now.

“As per the situation, especially the possible third wave and the number of cases, it will be decided whether the hospital will continue to treat patients. Many people are helping Covid-19 patients according to their personal capacities, but this field hospital will come up with a collective effort and it should be viewed as a model,” he said. The hospital will also have an ambulance facility to ferry patients to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

Sharp dip in Darj cases

Darjeeling district today witnessed a significant drop in new Covid-19 cases. While the entire district logged  273 cases, 151 were found in in the Siliguri Municipal Corporation area, including those under Jalpaiguri district, sources said. There was also a sharp fall in cases in rural areas of Siliguri Sub-Division, with 27 fresh cases detected in Matigara, 22 in Phansidewa, 21 in Naxalbari and five cases in Kharibari. On the other hand, 18 cases were found in Bijanbari, 14 in Darjeeling Municipality, 12 in Sukhia Pokhari, seven in Sukna, six in Kuresong and Mirik, three in Takdah and one in Mirik Municipality.

Six patients die

Around six persons who had tested positive for Covid19 died at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, sources said.