Total mismanagement in Bengal's healthcare system: Ghosh

Alleging gross mismanagement in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic by the West Bengal government, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday claimed that healthcare system in the state has "failed" to address the requirements to control the disease.

Ghosh alleged that false information was being dished out by the state government on the availability of beds for Covid-19 patients in different hospitals.

He claimed that the West Bengal government has not taken any appropriate measures to effectively deal with the pandemic and bring it under control.

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"There is total mismanagement in the state's healthcare system, the disease cannot be brought under control in this manner," he told newspersons here.

Denying the BJP MP's claim, senior state minister Subrata Mukherjee said that the situation in West Bengal was "much better" than in many other states.

"He (Ghosh) should visit Gujarat for three months and find out the real situation. We would like to hear him after he pays a visit to that state," Mukherjee said.

While admitting that there have been one or two gaffes in dealing with the pandemic situation, he said that overall the state has made the best possible arrangements in Covid care.

He claimed that amongst the worst-affected states, West Bengal is the "best" in managing the Covid pandemic.

"I won't say we are the best, but certainly we are the best among the worst (affected states)," the minister said.

Taking a dig at Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's exhortation to members of the party's youth wing to visit households and help the needy amid the coronavirus crisis, the BJP state president said that it seems that he has suddenly remembered the people of the state.

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"Where was he (Banerjee) for the last four months, now he has suddenly emerged from nowhere and is talking about getting 5 lakh volunteers to work for the people," Ghosh asked while claiming that the BJP workers have stood by the distressed people of the state providing them with ration and cooked food.

"We have given foodgrains to 35 lakh people and have fed another 20 lakh people," he said. The BJP state president claimed that the TMC tries to mimic the good policies and initiatives of his party after realising that these have been received well by the people.