Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee announced Tuesday the extension of lockdown in containment zones till August 31. However, in a separate development, a leading virologist blamed the Trinamool Congress-led government for the spread of COVID-19 in West Bengal. There will be complete lockdown in West Bengal for 10 days for the month of August, informed Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile Dr Amitabh Bandy said that the Bengal government has largely failed to address the COVID-19 crisis. He added that the recent decision to impose complete lockdown twice a week in August will be of no help. He said that community spread of coronavirus has already happened in West Bengal.
Dr Nandy’s assertions, however, were rebuffed by senior TMC leader and Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen. He claimed that the ‘unplanned approach’ of the Centre towards the pandemic was to blame for the spike in coronavirus cases across the nation.
According to Dr Nandy, community transmission of COVID-19 had started in Bengal way back in early-April. Matters have only gotten worse primarily due to the ‘bizarre attitude’ of the implementing agencies and the citizens. Dr Nandy incidentally is a former consultant at the World Health Organisation (WHO). He also alleged that the entire approach towards the control of COVID-19 spread in West Bengal has been ‘hijacked’ from the scientific community. That has resulted in the ‘current disastrous situation’.
“The attitude of the administration as well as the people of the state is quite bizarre. It has been observed time and again that the health infrastructure, (including that of private hospitals and private practitioners’ chambers) has severely suffered qualitatively and quantitatively,” Dr Nandy said.
“Here, the entire approach towards COVID-19 control has been hijacked from the scientific community. As a result of which, we have landed in this disastrous situation,” Dr Nandy added.
Several auxiliary factors such as inadequate diagnostic facilities, improper hospitalisation criteria and senior doctors withholding themselves from health services have added to the woes of patients, he informed.
Citing two examples from early April, where a fast-food seller in the city apparently died of COVID-19, and another ambulance owner reportedly contracted the virus during the course of his duty, Dr Nandy said, “There are numerous examples that COVID-19 community transmission in Kolkata started way back in April. I do not think the current administration understands what an epidemic is.”
Dr Nandy also felt that the decision to impose lockdown two days a week may not be beneficial. “It seems to be a mere eyewash,” he said.