We have a plasma bank with antibodies donated by recovered coronavirus patients: Mamata Banerjee
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday said the cord blood bank in the city will be used for treating COVID-19 patients in addition to the plasma bank at the state-run Calcutta Medical College Hospital.
She announced that psychology students will be inducted for tele counselling of COVID-19 patients and their families.
She also cautioned that none should impersonate representatives from COVID-19 testing centres and said the people should get their samples tested only at government authorised laboratories.
"We have a plasma bank with antibodies donated by recovered coronavirus patients. The facilities of the government's cord blood bank can be utilised for the treatment of the COVID-19 patients," she told reporters.
Ms Bannerjee said the government has set up a Covid Patient Management System in the state under which one can get latest updates about the number of critical, moderate patients or patients with mild symptoms or asymptomatic ones by either calling a toll free number or a dedicated number.
The system is being manned by 96 doctors 24x7, state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha, who was present at the press meeting, said. Stating that 87.6 per cent of the COVID-19 fatalities in the state is due to co-morbidity, she said, "One should not ignore if he/she develops COVID-19 symptoms but go for tests.
"70.3 per cent have been discharged from hospital. So don't hide if you have symptoms. COVID-19 is curable," the Chief Minister said.
Mr Sinha said the government on Thursday sanctioned 500 new posts of house staff in hospitals for treating COVID-19 cases.
The new house staff will be recruited very soon through walk in interviews due to the present pandemic situation, he said.
The chief secretary said that over 500 beds have been added to the state-run and private COVID-19 hospitals since July 31 taking the total number of beds in hospitals for patients of the pandemic to 11,560.
Mr Sinha said there are over 10,000 beds at safe homes for COVID-19 patients, which is a unique initiative by the state for mild or asymptomatic patients.
He said the government has conducted about 25,000 tests in the city, 80 per cent of them RT-PCR and 20 per cent rapid antigen tests.
The fatality in COVID-19 cases is only 2.2 per cent, Mr Sinha said.