Kolkata (West Bengal): As many as 500 nurses left West Bengal's Kolkata for their home states ever since the Centre allowed inter and intra-state movement of those engaged in essential services amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown leading to a shortage of nursing staff in the city.
Most of these nurses belong to states like Manipur, Tripura, Odisha and Jharkhand.
Meanwhile, private hospitals in the city have sent a letter to the Nursing Council as well as the state Chief Secretary stating that they are facing a shortage of nursing staff and requested them to take measures to control the exodus amid the increasing number of coronavirus cases.
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Till Sunday, West Bengal had registered 166 deaths because of COVID-19, and a total of 2,677 confirmed cases.