Mamata Banerjee on Thursday proposed a private-public partnership approach to defend Bengal against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The chief minister’s statement of intent -– among the first such announcements to include the private healthcare sector in the battle against the coronavirus -– came during a meeting with the healthcare stakeholders, including private players, that she chaired at Nabanna on Thursday evening.
“The main thing is, we are in this together; we have to take it up as a challenge, fight together and succeed together,” said the chief minister, also the health minister, during the 100-minute discussion at the Nabanna Sabhaghar.
“It all boils down to how we perform over the next two to three weeks as we have learnt from the other nations seriously affected by the outbreak,” she said.
Before seeking the assistance of the private players, Mamata underscored her government’s initiative to put in place a Rs 200-crore fund to combat the pandemic, apparently without any help from the Centre. She said the private facilities and others were welcome to contribute.
The chief minister rolled out a list of measures undertaken by her government thus far to combat the outbreak, from ordering masks and thermal scanners in large numbers to increasing the number of ventilators, beds and isolation centres.
Mamata assigned a senior IAS officer for each district – more than one in some populous districts such as North 24-Parganas -– for closely monitoring he situation along with the district administration.
“She is personally monitoring the situation and taking to doctors and experts…. She is convinced that the fight cannot be done by government alone and that’s why she tried to reach out to the private healthcare sector to keep them prepared for any eventuality,” said a source close to Mamata.
Some of the representatives of the private healthcare sector later said that the approach of the chief minister was commendable and they would do everything to possible to complement the government’s efforts.
From the big guns of the public healthcare sector to the who’s who of the private facilities, Mamata spoke to everyone at the brainstorming session, looking for ways to help each other out so that the state is not found lacking in preparedness.
Mamata conceded that the government facilities were inadequate for the onset of Stage III being apprehended, but underscored that measures are in the process of being implemented for rapid capacity augmentation.
She repeatedly sought cooperation from the private facilities to start work in tandem as soon as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) releases its guidelines.
“The disease has to be contained. The private sector ought to chip in – we must help one another in this – with your resources, doctors, infrastructure…. As soon as the guidelines arrive – I don’t know what is taking them so long, I do not see the point in the doctor arriving after the patient’s death – you must stay ready to start work,” said Mamata, before instructing health-secretary Vivek Kumar to set up a WhatsApp group and start the process of close coordination right away.
She said all hospitals – public or private -- requiring help by way of equipment should place their requisitions with the health department immediately, and asked all facilities to have updated information, from beds available to number of patients admitted, on a daily basis.
Mamata said it was imperative that “24x7” alertness is maintained over the next few weeks, to minimise the damage of stage III of the outbreak in Bengal.
“Infrastructure should be in place in private hospitals, we are doing our bit for public hospitals…. Patients will have to be treated, they should not be refused. The next few weeks, we must work 24x7 to contain it,” she said.
Mamata repeatedly warned against unfair practices such as hoarding and rumour-mongering to indicate shortage of supply, for those seeking to make profits.
“This is a very serious disease, a pandemic that we must set aside our differences to fight. This is not the time for making profits. This is the time for protection, of cooperation,” she said.
“There is no need at all for panic, but people are naturally getting worried… we must convey that we are prepared,” she added.
In the first such meeting since the outbreak – which the representatives of the private facilities thanked her profusely for – there was dearth of specifics like what exactly she wanted the private healthcare units to provide, but sources said the chief minister was testing the waters before further similar steps.
“She was sounding them out. The exercise turned out to be a productive one and, going forward, there will be more such meetings where the discussions could be a lot more detailed,” said a Nabanna source.