West Bengal: Top Health Official BK Dasgupta Dies after Testing Positive for COVID-19

Kolkata, April 26, 2020:

West Bengal Health Services Assistant Director, Dr Biplab Kanti Dasgupta, died of COVID-19. According to reports, the senior medical officer passed away late on Saturday night at a private hospital in Kolkata.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to her Twitter handle to express her condolence to his bereaved family amid the COVID-19 crisis.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, relatives, colleagues and other dear and near ones. Heartfelt condolences from the entire medical fraternity," she tweeted.

"His sacrifice for the cause of ailing humanity will ever be in our hearts and will make our COVID warriors fight the deadly virurs with even greater determination", Banerjee added in another tweet.

It may be mentioned here that the 60-year-old doctor, posted as assistant director health services (equipment and stores), was initially admitted to Beliaghata Infectious Diseases hospital and later shifted to a private hospital in Salt Lake on April 18, where he succumbed to the disease.

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According to reports, after he tested positive for COVID-19, he was first taken to Beliaghata ID hospital and then to the Salt Lake private hospital. The doctor was suffering from respiratory distress and other co-morbidities and had been on ventilator since he was admitted to the hospital. He died at 1.20 am on Sunday.

West Bengal so far has reported a total of 541 Covid-19 cases. Of them, 18 have succumbed to the disease, according to the state's health department. Within the State, capital city Kolkata has the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 184 confirmed infections.

West Bengal is at number 10 in terms of number of cases among all states and union territories in India. Within the country, Maharashtra continues to have the most cases with 7628, according to data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Maharashtra is followed by Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

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