Bengal's 68 COVID-19 hospitals now have 8,536 beds (Representational)
West Bengal's premier facility, the Kolkata Medical College Hospital was today designated a COVID-19 hospital and will start functioning from May 7. The hospital has 500 beds to be assigned to both COVID and SARI (Severe Acute Respiratory Infection) patients. This is the 68th dedicated COVID-19 hospital in the state.
Till the addition of this hospital, Bengal's 67 COVID-19 hospitals had 8,036 beds. That will now go up to 8,536 beds. Besides state government hospitals, several private hospitals too are serving as dedicated COVID-19 hospitals.
The state has 271 ventilators. So far, out of the 1,456 positive cases, only 30 have needed ventilator support, the home secretary said at his press meet today.
The number of ICU beds is 860.
For health workers, the state has so far distributed 16.5 lakh Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 73.5 lakh masks, 30 lakh gloves and 20,000 thermal guns.
There has been a significant increase in the number of tests being conducted in Bengal. The state had come in for a lot of criticism because of low testing figures. According to the home secretary, from 250 tests per day a month ago, the figure is now up to 2,500.
Testing has increased with an increase in the number of laboratories. From just one in early April, there are now 15 labs - 10 of them are government-run, five are private.
Two more labs at NRS Medical College in Kolkata and Hospital and Bankura Medical College are likely to be operational in the next few days. Applications for approval by 10 government and two private medical colleges are lying with ICMR.
"Among the currently existing 15 labs, there is one each at Siliguri, Malda, Murshidabad, and Midnapore. "So there is a reasonable regional spread of labs for testing," Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said.