Kolkata: The West Bengal government says it has the nod of the Calcutta High Court. The state administration was never of the opinion about holding the annual mega event in a toned-down fashion. And now, the inevitable has already struck.
Giving a cold shoulder to several expert opinions and suggestions, the West Bengal government has gone ahead with holding the annual Gangasagar Mela and pilgrimage without any curtails, and as per reports, two doctors and three health workers in the Sagar Rural Hospital have today reported Covid positive. The South 24 Parganas district administration had conducted a rapid antigen test of 27 doctors and health workers who are directly connected with managing the health mechanism in the fairgrounds, where the congregation could go well past 2 lakh. Out of them, two doctors, two nurses, and one health worker’s Covid reports have come as positive.
Experts are now saying that this could be the tip of the iceberg or a precursor to what can be expected when the actual gathering happens in the Sagar islands in the run-up to the holy dip scheduled for January 13 and 14.
Several physicians have already sounded the alarm bell that the mega congregation could eventually act as a super spreader event of Covid infection.
“We know that those who run the state affairs have their own obligations and many times they ignore expert opinion. But, we have enough data to show that how big congregations lead to the rapid spread of Covid infection. With the Omicron variant considered to be extremely contagious, holding any major event where there are chances of the congregation is always dangerous,” says Dr Koushik Lahiri.
“During the earlier two waves, health workers, doctors, administration, and the police – all had come together in the fight against the spread of the virus. This time it is clear from the beginning that frontline workers, mostly doctors, health workers, and police personnel are getting infected by huge numbers. The people, in general, are also negligent in maintaining Covid restrictions and norms. Holding any major event in these trying times is not at all advisable,” he says.
Senior physician Dr Arindam Biswas echoes Dr Lahiri. “This time we are seeing a surge in asymptomatic patients. The virus is lying in plain eyesight, yet it cannot be recognized initially. This is a dangerous trend and we need to understand the threat. Any congregation will lead to the rapid spread of infection and will undoubtedly put huge pressure on the healthcare infrastructure. At a time when doctors and health workers are falling ill due to the infection, we should have avoided holding any big gathering,” said Dr Biswas.
Several public health experts have questioned the state government’s statement that only those who are vaccinated will be allowed in the Ganagsagar Mela.
“When a gathering of the proportion, which happens in the annual Gangasagar Mela, gets going, one can easily realize how hollow these statements are. There is simply no mechanism to check and ensure vaccine certificates, leave aside ensuring adequate tests. The infrastructure just does not match the sheer size of the crowd, which usually gathers in this annual event,” says a health worker in Diamond Harbour.
However, some social workers have also pointed out the fact that a large section of the population, mostly in the South 24 Parganas district, depend on the Gangasagar Mela for their yearly income.
“This is the only window for many in the district, especially those who live in the vicinity of the Sagar islands, for making some decent livelihood because all through the other months of the year, there is hardly any tourism activity. Due to the salinity in the land, agriculture is also not widely practiced. Suspension of the fair deals a body blow to the economic activity of a large section of the population in the district,” says a senior district administration official.
The Gangasagar Mela of 2022 will happen under the close watch of a committee constituted by the High Court, which will be ensuring that all Covid protocols are maintained during the event. But, doctors and experts say, the basic thumb rule of avoiding large gatherings as part of Covid restrictions can hardly be maintained. They are simply keeping their fingers crossed.
For the record, the infection figure in West Bengal stood at 18,802 and the rate of infection is 29.06 percent.
