West Bengal CPI(M) demands more COVID-19 tests

Kolkata, Apr 12 () Demanding a considerableincrease in tests to determine the spread of COVID-19 in WestBengal, CPI(M) leader Surjyakanta Mishra on Sunday accused thestate government of lack of transparency in declaring thenumber of dead and affected people.

Claiming that West Bengal was conducting much lessernumber of tests compared to several other states in thecountry, the CPI(M) state secretary said that both PolymeraseChain Reaction (PCR) and rapid tests must be done of people inlarge numbers to determine how much the disease is actuallyspreading in the state.

"Even the expert committee formed by the stategovernment has also advocated extensive tests to bring alarger percentage of the population under the scanner," hesaid at a press conference through social media from theCPI(M) party headquarter here.

While holding that Kerala has done an exemplary job indealing with COVID-19, Mishra said that West Bengal has donemuch fewer tests of people than many other states.

"There should also be transparency in declaration ofthe figures since people should know how many persons havebeen inflicted with the disease and also from which places anddistricts they hail so that the general public can be morecautious in those areas," he said.

Questioning the figures of dead and affected personsgiven by the state government, the CPI(M) leader said that thenumbers given by the state government and those available fromother sources are varying a lot.

The West Bengal government has declared that fivepersons have so far died of COVID-19, while holding that incase of comorbidity along with coronavirus infliction, astate-appointed committee would ascertain the reason for suchdeath.

"Comorbidity means a person may have had otherdiseases, but if he or she was found to have coronavirus, thenit must be declared that the person died of the virus," heasserted.

Mishra said that it is already an established factthat if a person has diabetes, high pressure or asthma, thenthere is a higher risk of fatality if he or she is inflictedwith the coronavirus.

Claiming that there are signs of communitytransmission of the disease, he said that the government mustbe more careful and take steps to stem it.

He said that widespread rapid testing must be done toidentify areas where the disease has been occurring more.

Mishra said that the poor people and workers in theunorganised sector are suffering due to the lockdown.

"Each of these people should be given Rs 5,000 intheir Jandhan accounts by the Centre along with free rationduring the lockdown period so that no one dies of starvation,"he said.

Mishra also claimed that attempts were being made fromsome sections to spread the virus of communalism over theNizamuddin congregation issue, while questioning what theUnion Home Ministry was doing when permission was given forholding the meet. AMRRG RG