COVID-19 : Senior Bengal Govt Doctor Dies, CM Mamata Banerjee Pays Tribute

A senior government doctor died of coronavirus disease in West Bengal. Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, 60 was the in-charge of the state's central medical store. After, Biplab tested positive for coronavirus, he was first taken to Beliaghata ID hospital and later to the Salt Lake private hospital. He had been on a ventilator since he was admitted to the hospital. He was also suffering from respiratory distress and other co-morbidities. His wife is also infected with coronavirus and is battling COVID-19.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: “We have lost Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, Assistant Director, Health Services, West Bengal, in the early hours of today. He was Assistant Director of Health Services, Central Medical Stores. We are deeply pained with his untimely demise.”

In another tweet, she said, “His sacrifice for the cause of ailing humanity will ever be in our hearts and will make our COVID warriors fight the deadly virus with even greater determination. My heartfelt condolence to Dr Dasgupta’s bereaved family members and colleagues.”

In a statement, the West Bengal Doctors’ Forum said that it is the first reported death of a member of the medical fraternity in the state, who was tested positive for Covid-19. The Forum further stated that more and more healthcare workers are diagnosed with Covid-19 over the last few weeks, some of them are asymptomatic, while several others are in quarantine. So, they urge the health and administrative authorities to proactively look into the matter as it is a matter of grave concern.

The forum requested all the doctors in West Bengal to observe two minutes’ silence at 11 am on Monday to pay respect to the state’s “first Covid-19 martyr among healthcare professionals”.

A retired civil servant Dinabandhu Bhattacharya wrote on his social media, “Dasgupta, who contracted Covid-19 while being on duty, has died. Let us demand a state funeral. No stigma please!”

The total number of confirmed cases in West Bengal stands at 611 and 18 deaths have been reported so far.

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