In a surprise move, the Global Advisory Board set up by the West Bengal government to guide it in its fight against COVID-19 has decided to go public about the situation in the state. The board led by Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee warned that the situation in West Bengal is likely to worsen further and that the lockdown cannot be the ultimate mode of action.
The board said despite their meeting with the senior government officials from time to time, they decided to issue a public statement, considering the worsening situation in the state.
“The Global Advisory Board on COVID-19 Response Policy in West Bengal has met 13 times by video-conferencing. The Chief Secretary of Government of West Bengal and the Principal Secretary, Health have joined several meetings for a part of the time, with the goal of filling us in on relevant details. Our board has made a large number of suggestions, for example, on testing, masks, treatment protocols and patient support through an NGO, that the government welcomed—the Chief Minister wrote to us multiple letters in response—and has subsequently implemented,” said the board statement.
“Despite many of these good efforts, the COVID-19 continues to spread in West Bengal, as in much of the rest of the country. The near-term projections are that the number of infected will continue to go up, again as in the rest of the country. We feel that the critical need of the moment is to help the people and the government of West Bengal to deal best with the challenges raised by the rising number of infections, without relying overly on lockdowns, which are unsustainable over long periods of time. Here are what we think are the key points, and we feel that it is important that we share them directly with the people of West Bengal,” said the joint statement of the board members.
Apart from Banerjee, the board includes well known medicine expert Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, also the health advisory board chairman of Mamata Banerjee, Hepatologist Dr Abhijit Chowdhury, Dr Swarup Sarkar, former WHO board member, along with a few well known economists.
The board observed that the risks are now higher than they were before the general lockdown ended. It asked people to avoid general gathering and maintain social and physical distance. People also need to use generous use of “high quality masks and sanitisers”.
The board suggested media campaigns and ramping up of testing using all available methods.
Banerjee, who is the chairman of the board, has held many communications across different levels and is in the process of doing a random control trial across West Bengal on COVID-19.
Expressing concern over the economic impact of COVID-19 lockdown, it said, “The economic fallout from the pandemic and the lockdown has been very substantial and it is likely that many of the traditionally marginalized and vulnerable groups are particularly hit hard. There needs to be special attention to identify these groups and provide them with the necessary economic support,” said the board.
The disease is especially threatening to the elderly and to those with co-morbidities like diabetes, heart disease, COPD, chronic kidney disease, and to those who are immuno-suppressed (for instance, those who are being treated for cancer).
“Therefore, we all need to make sure that these populations and their family members and other close associates take extra care in terms of wearing masks, social distancing, not going to crowded places and large gatherings, especially indoors, unless it is absolutely essential. It is also crucial that those even slightly unwell in these groups should know to immediately make contact with the health care system, since delays can be very harmful,” said the statement.
The board also felt that those with high-risk profiles need to be given priority in hospital admissions and treatment, and the hospitals need to be prepared to bring in experts to deal with the relevant comorbidities. The hospitals need to make provisions for an adequate supply of oxygen and the various drugs approved for treatment, based on realistic projections about the increased number of admissions in the near future.
“Steps are being taken to prepare government and private facilities in West Bengal to meet these needs—but the situation is fast-moving and policies will require periodic augmentation based on evolving needs,” said the statement.
However, the recent development in West Bengal showed that even the young are at massive risk as a 38-year-old deputy magistrate, who was in charge to oversee the migrant workers, died two days ago after getting infected. Also, a 32-year-old homemaker died in a similar situation. The death of an 18-year-old also raised alarm in the state and nullified the fact that only old co-morbid people were at higher risks.
“Such deaths are very surprising and wee need to be very serious about it,” said virologist Amitava Nandy.
The board also criticised the alleged ostracism of COVID-19 patients in West Bengal. THE WEEK in its recent report had written about how a large number of patients in the state concealed their diseases and died at home as they were scared of being ostracised.
“News reports suggest that there is a fear psychosis and that families with infected members are facing ostracism. This is tragic, and undermines the sense of community that Bengal’s people are justly proud of. Moreover, it encourages people to conceal infections until it is too late to do anything about it, or to seek protection in hospitals from harassment by neighbours even when it is not medically necessary, filling up hospital beds that someone else might need. These fears are unwarranted given the systems that have been put in place and the steady improvements being made in medical treatment,” the members of the board said.
Be prepared for Durga Puja: Mamata
Contrary to board members' warning, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asked various clubs to be prepared for Durga Puja and try hard to make the state COVID-19 free before October.
“You would have to work hard as Puja is coming,” said Banerjee.
The state cabinet on Wednesday met and approved Rs 10 lakh each for the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the people who fell sick, besides free treatment.
The government has also decided to give a citation and medals to COVID-19 warriors of the state.
Mamata Banerjee said in a statement on Wednesday, “We will give job to one member of the family of those who have died while serving people during COVID-19.”
The chief minister said such a scheme would also include contractual staff like civil volunteers and home guards of the police department. According to government data, 12 government employees have died so far while discharging their COVID-19 duties.
