Bengal needs more quarantine facilities, isolation beds and testing centres to fight the novel coronavirus, a “committee of experts” told state health department officials on Saturday.

The state government had on Thursday set up the “committee of experts”, comprising 12 members, to advise it on the technical aspects of fighting Covid-19.

The committee, which held its first meeting at Swasthya Bhavan on Saturday, has recommended that the N95 facemasks, gloves, caps and personal protective equipment used by the doctors and other healthcare workers treating coronavirus patients should be recycled to prevent shortage.

“We need more quarantine facilities as well as dedicated treatment centres for coronavirus patients. At this moment the existing facilities are adequate but we have to be prepared for a sudden spurt in cases,” a physician who is a member of the committee said.

A health department official said there were 700 quarantine beds on the campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in New Town and NBCC square, the two about 6km apart. Besides, district administrations have been asked to stay prepared with quarantine facilities.

The Dumurjala stadium in Howrah, for example, has been converted into a quarantine centre, the official said.

A health department statement on Friday said “isolation facilities with 1,071 beds have been arranged” across 87 hospitals in the state, which include medical colleges, district, sub-divisional and multi-speciality hospitals.

The state government has converted Calcutta Medical College and Hospital into the only dedicated hospital for coronavirus patients. An official of the hospital said there were 1,600-odd beds.

“We have to create more treatment facilities in the districts because there are thousands of migrant labourers who have returned from other states and countries,” physician Abhijit Chowdhury, who is a member of the committee, said.

Another member said if the number of cases rose in the districts it would be difficult to ferry all of them to hospitals in Calcutta.

“Also, as we have seen in other countries, most coronavirus patients have mild symptoms and need isolation and observation. For that, we don’t need to bring them to Calcutta.”

The committee members have suggested that more doctors, nurses and paramedics should be trained in treating coronavirus patients across the state.

The committee has stressed the need to recycle personal protective equipment of doctors and healthcare workers.

“Worldwide, there is a shortage of such equipment because of an increasing demand. Now, there are several protocols developed to recycle N95 masks and PPE using disinfectants,” another committee member said.

A health department official said the department would soon bring out an advisory on recycling such equipment.