Three more infants died of influenza and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with several many babies admitted in several state hospitals especially in North Bengal with cold and fever and breathlessness.
According to officials, over 150 infants are admitted in Malda Medical College, over 250 infants are admitted in Purulia government hospital, in Jalpaiguri Zilla Sadar Hospital over 150 infants are admitted.
According to hospital sources, the district health department on Thursday held a gathering to debate ways on curbing the menace.
“A special ward in three places in Jalpaiguri with 24 beds is being found out . A team of 60 people are going to be made to watch the infants around the clock”, said the sources.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with Principal’s of 5 medical colleges on Thursday to debate ways to unravel several health problems in West Bengal .
After beginning of the meeting Mamata said that those infants who had died had other complications aside from influenza.
West Bengal Health Secretary NS Nigam said a team from Health Department will visit North Bengal on Friday.
“Samples from the dead and living infants are being tested and necessary steps are going to be taken at the earliest,” said Nigam.
However, Director of Health Service, Ajoy Chakraborty said, “Our expert team from North Bengal Medical College has visited Jalpaiguri DH, and seen the cases. The laboratory diagnosis confirmed differing types of fever which are normally occurring during this season, including Influenza and RS virus, a couple of others like Dengue, and other respiratory illnesses.”
Political slugfest over the new disease started in West Bengal after Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for sending a central team to research the disease.
Suvendu also took to Twitter and slammed the West Bengal government for that specialize in Bhabanipur bypoll and not on the outbreakl.
Without taking anyone’s name, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh claimed that the BJP leader's mind is ‘idle mind is devil’s workshop’.
“The central government had claimed that the health infrastructure in West Bengal is best within the country and a few people just to get on the news malign TMC government. the govt is taking necessary actions,” said Kunal.
West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh also urged the government to hunt help from the central government so as to curb the disease.