BJP Points Out 'Irregularities' in Bengal Govt's COVID-19 Bulletin, Says Hospitals Forced to Hide Data

A section of BJP leaders have accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of suppressing the actual number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal and demanded that the state government should come out with regular bulletins like other states are releasing.

Training his guns on Mamata, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya on Monday wrote on Twitter, "What is Mamata Banerjee hiding? No medical bulletin from the Bengal government on 2nd, 3rd and 5th Apr. Curiously number of Covid related deaths missing in the bulletin released on 4th.. Read this along with Mamata admin’s diktat on a Committee deciding reason for Covid deaths."

He further accused the government of pressuring hospitals to hide the correct data of the state. "Hospital administrations across Bengal are under pressure from Mamata Banerjee, who is also the Health Minister, to underplay COVID related cases by discouraging tests and thwarting doctors from writing Corona as a reason for deaths, despite positive reports, in Death Certificates."

Referring to a patient who was admitted to the general ward despite showing COVID-19 symptoms, Malviya tweeted, "Shocking apathy and negligence by the Mamata Banerjee admin in Bengal where a COVID patient was initially admitted to the general medicine ward of NRS Medical College and was sent to CCU and not isolation even after he turned symptomatic. Tragically, the 34 year old died later."

“After the death of Covid patient, 58 staff members, doctors and nurses of NRS medical college, have been sent to quarantine, as they initially treated the deceased as a normal patient even though he had Corona symptoms, without adequate protection...” his tweet further read.

Malviya while tweeting, referred to a letter issued by the state government on April 3, 2020, according to which, “An expert committee is hereby formed for conducting audits of suspected deaths due to COVID-19. The committee will examine the BHT, treatment history, laboratory investigation reports, death certificates or any other documents as may be deemed necessary for ascertaining the cause o death of a patient who had tested positive for COVID-19.”

Speaking to the News18, Trinamool Women Congress president and minister of state for health, Chandrima Bhattacharya said, "Let them say whatever they want to say. We will not reply such allegation."