Kolkata: A 12-member expert committee of doctors constituted by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, held its first meeting at Swasthya Bhawan on Saturday and discussed a host of issues including an alternative arrangement of a hospital for Corona suspected patients in case all the existing beds of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) are filled up. The committee also touched upon the possible ways to check transmission from one affected person to another in the hospitals, treatment protocols and also the safety issues of the doctors, nurses and the health workers at all the government hospitals. The expert committee that comprises of veteran medical experts like Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, a medicine doctor, Dr Avijit Chowdhury from the hepatology department of the SSKM Hospital, Dr Ashutosh Ghosh from critical care at the SSKM and Dr Mamen Chandi, director Tata Medical Centre has decided to send a set of virologists and doctors to various places of North Bengal. A team of 35 doctors and virologists will visit different places of Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri and others in groups to take stock of the situation and to examine the preparedness of the hospitals. The expert team also expressed concern over the shortage of testing kits. As expert committee members are not taking any risk especially after the number of COVID – 19 affected persons are going up. The CMCH has made arrangements to admit Coronavirus suspected people and has announced a dedicated hospital for the purpose. As many as 3,000 beds would be made available at the hospital. Doctors are also keen on making an alternative arrangement if the CMCH is filled up. "We are taking all the preventive measures to handle any possible situation. We have to put in place an alternative arrangement. Several issues have been discussed including the present scenario and also on how to combat the situation," a senior Health official said. It may be mentioned here that the Chief Minister formed the expert committee to intensify the surveillance carried out by the government to check the spread of the COVID – 19. The other members are Dr Subir Dutta, pathology, Dr Bibhuti Saha, medicine at the School of Tropical medicine, Dr Dhiman Ganguly, chest medicine, Dr Bivu Kalyani Das, anaesthesia, Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata, Dr Soumitra Ghosh, medicine, SSKM, Dr Plaban Mukherjee Cardiothoracic surgery of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, Dr Debasis Bhattacharyya, director of medical education, Dr Ajay Chakraborty, Director of Health Services. The committee of experts will also advise the government on the strategy for isolation and quarantine, strategy for testing and expansion of testing facilities. Meanwhile, five persons who tested positive for the Coronavirus on Friday have been taken to the Beliaghata ID Hospital from Nadias Tehatta while eight of their family members who came in contact with the affected ones were taken to the quarantine centre at the New Town. A 9-month-old baby girl, 6-year-old girl, a 26-year-old girl and a 45-year-old woman and an 11-year-old boy are affected. Eight others have been kept under home quarantine in Nadia. State Health department officials alleged that the Union Health ministry did not share any information that one of the members of the family returned from abroad and joined a party along with others in Delhi. The Health department is trying to identify the passengers who came to the city from Delhi in Rajdhani Express with the victims.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.