4 people labelled COVID-19 positive without test; West Bengal health department sees panic among residents
Great panic has occurred in the minds of people of North Dinajpur after four people were labelled COVID-19 positive without being tested. The chief health officer has ordered an investigation.
Four patients were labelled COVID-19 positive without being tested. The alleged negligence of the health department has created huge panic in the minds of people living in the area. The district chief health officer has ordered an investigation. The incident took place at Goalpokhar in North Dinajpur.
Five months have passed but there is no sign of a reduction in the number of COVID patients in West Bengal. The number of victims has been increasing in different parts of North Dinajpur district. The number of victims in the district has exceeded 1500.
The situation is most critical in Raiganj and Islampur. More than 300 people have been infected with COVID in Raiganj. If the situation continues to remain the same, then there is a high possibility that the entire place if not most of it will be affected by COVID-19.
According to reports, 70 people of Belon Gram Panchayat in Goalpokhar No 2 Block were sent for COVID tests. Among those people, some belonged from Chapar village, and few from Rampur. Chandnichak village was also on the list. But not everyone underwent the COVID test. 73 people gave samples for the test. Seven people did not undergo the COVID test. Among these seven people, four of them were reported positive despite them not undergoing a test. This incident has caused great panic in the area.
Feroz Alam is one of those whose report showed that he was COVID-19 positive. He said, “I wrote my name on the list to get tested. But I went to work after watching the big crowd that gathered in the medical centre for the COVID-19 test. It was later learned that my report said I was COVID positive. Everyone got this news in my area after which I can’t step out of my house. My business will be doomed if this continues.”
A complaint has been lodged with the block administration on behalf of the panchayat. Chief Health Officer of Uttar Dinajpur district Rabindranath Pradhan has ordered an investigation into this matter. BJP's Uttar Dinajpur district president Biswajit Lahiri said, "It is clear from this incident how the administration and health department are working to deal with the coronavirus situation. We, therefore, claim that the information provided by the state government was incorrect.”