By IANS,
Kolkata : A day before the last phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, at least 200 kits that prevent bleeding were distributed in the Maoist-affected districts for treating injured in case of an attack by the rebels, an official said Monday.
Fourteen constituencies that make up the Maoist heartland in the state spread over parts of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura districts go to the hustings Tuesday.
The Maoists had issued a poll boycott call before the start of the six-phase assembly elections last month.
“We have got a special type of imported bleeding preventive kits called ‘quick clot trauma kits’ from a Delhi-based company and distributed 100 such kits each in Bankura and West Midnapore districts, besides keeping an equal number of kits with us,” said Purulia District Magistrate and District Election Officer (DEO) Abinindra Singh.
“In my area, I have distributed the kits to all the block medical officers located in the Maoists-affected constituencies – Bandwan, Balarampur, Baghmundi and Joypur. In case of emergency, these kits will be used on the wounds of the injured to prevent excessive bleeding before they are shifted to hospital,” Singh told IANS.
“So far such kits were used by the defence personnel. But we decided to keep such kits with us for emergency during polls,” Singh said.
“The Purulia DEO informed us that they have imported some bleeding preventive kits to be used during emergency and we requested him to arrange some more for the other two Maoist-affected districts,” said Joint Chief Electoral Officer Dibyendu Sarkar.
The final and sixth round of polling includes seven seats in West Midnapore, four in Purulia and three in Bankura.
In the fray are 97 candidates, including Minister for Western Region Development Sushanta Ghosh and former backward classes welfare minister Upen Kisku.
Polling for the 294-member assembly, which started April 18, will end Tuesday. The votes will be counted May 13.