The number of Covid patients has been steadily increasing for the last few days. The number of infected people in the state has increased tenfold in the last five days, according to official figures. No doubt several times more is the number of untested infected people. The situation is likely to get worse in the next few days, with many people at risk of being infected at the same time. If even a small percentage of them are hospitalized and need treatment, it will go beyond the overall capacity of hospitals of our state. Right now, many doctors and medical staff are affected. As a result, the epidemic is likely to be more difficult to deal with this time.

The administrative activities of the last few weeks are largely responsible for creating this situation. Ignoring all the warnings and warnings of the doctors, the public meeting and procession were held in violation of all the restrictions on the campaign of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. All the political parties have participated in it with great enthusiasm. The administration did not even think of taking any action but helped to encourage it.

After that, with the encouragement and persuasion of the government itself, the common people have been involved in celebrating the Christmas and the New Year without any restraint.

The number of hospitalized Covid patients is increasing now and will increase in the near future. We, the doctors, could not forget the horrible situation of May last year, we could not forget the days of people crying for oxygen bed and the series death processions.

In this situation, if the Ganga Sagar Mela is held from January 10, 2022, it will be a terrible situation, which  can be understood with a little intelligence and humane feeling without the help of any expert or statistician.

On behalf of the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal, a joint platform of medical organizations of West Bengal, we demand the Government of West Bengal to take immediate action to stop the Ganga Sagar fair and issue necessary orders.

It should not be forgotten that people from different parts of India gather at this fair. Everyone knows from past experience what has spread from such fairs. If the state government sponsors this fair, then the responsibility of spreading the infection all over the country will fall on that government alone.

We hope the government, realizing the importance of our concerns, will take immediate action to stop this fair.

Besides, the Joint Platform of Doctors is demanding from the government - 1. Increase the number of covid tests to find infected people, 2. The private hospitals which were acquired as Covid Hospitals during the second wave should be re-acquired. All the closed wards of government hospitals should be reopened.

Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal (Association of Health Service Doctors, West Bengal Doctors Forum, Health Service Association, Shramajibi Swasthya Udyog, Doctors For Democracy)