Amid apprehensions of a probable surge of COVID-19 cases in the State during Durga Puja, the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has asked doctors not to leave the city during the four days of the festival.
The WBCERC has also urged private hospitals to keep a note of the contact details of the doctors so that they can be reached in case of emergency, its chairman Justice (Retd) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said.
“Generally doctors remain very busy throughout the year and go out of the city during these four days of festivities. But this year at this hour of crisis, if the doctors, irrespective of their specialisation, stay in the city it will be of great help.
“We will also request private hospitals to prepare a database of contacts of the doctors as well as their addresses so that they can be reached if there is a crisis,” he said.
The Commission has also requested private hospitals to prepare a list of specialists of the eyes, ENT or skin and surgeons who do not treat COVID-19 patients so that they can be engaged in case of urgent demand during the festive season, he said.
Private hospitals can also prepare lists of such doctors so that they can supplement the manpower in COVID wards of their respective hospitals in case of a sudden surge in corona infections during the Durga Pujas, Justice Banerjee said.
The Commission has also requested the private hospital authorities to prepare a list of patients who have recovered from the disease so that they can donate plasma and provide voluntary service at the hospitals for the coronavirus affected during the festival.
WBCERC has also asked private hospitals to charge patients for a day only after they complete staying there for 24 hours and not from a fixed hour of the day.
“However, in cases where the whole stay in hospital is less than 24 hours, the hospitals may charge for a day,” it said in an order.
