The West Bengal Chief Minister on June 24 asked the state's private hospitals to look into the treatment priority of a patient before conducting a COVID-19 test as it could help save more lives.

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She also said a notion has developed among people that hospitals would only treat those infected with COVID-19 and sideline those suffering from other ailments. "I will urge medical personnel of private hospitals to administer treatment to patients with all kinds of ailments without being scared. I believe better treatment could have saved a few more people who have lost their lives (due to COVID-19 or other diseases). "I mean if necessary drugs, oxygen could have been given on time and even better behaviour (on the part of hospital staff)," she said after attending an all-party meeting at a venue close to the state secretariat here.

Citing incidents of heart patients being made to undergo COVID-19 tests at private hospitals at a time when they needed other treatment, the chief minister said, "I urge private hospitals to please look into the treatment priority of a patient and then conduct COVID-19 tests on them. " "Do not ignore the critical ailments and concentrate only on COVID-19 testing," she said.

She from patients about denial of admission. "The government has given instructions and I hope both private and government hospitals will abide by them," she said. Another advisory in this regard will soon be issued by the state government, she added. The health department has warned of suspension of licence as well as penal steps against hospitals if they deny admission or treatment to patients.