Blood platelet units in district hospitals

Gautam Deb at NBMCH on Thursday. (Passang Yolmo)

TT, 14 December 2017, Siliguri: The state health department will set up blood component separation units for at the district hospitals in Siliguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

Also, the districts hospitals in Siliguri and Darjeeling will get platelet aggregation facility, said state tourism minister Gautam Deb here on Thursday, while adding that healthcare facilities at North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH) will also be augmented as the new multi super-specialty hospital building would be ready at the premises by June next year.

The minister, also chairman of the Rogi Kalyan Samity of NBMCH, met the principal and superintendent.

During the recent outbreak of dengue and other vector-borne diseases in Siliguri and surrounding areas, a demand was made from different corners to set up blood component separation unit. Considering the necessity, the state health department has agreed to introduce the facility at the district hospitals of Siliguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The hospitals of Siliguri and Darjeeling will also get a platelet aggregation facility," Deb said.

The minister also mentioned that the new building of the multi super-specialty hospital that is coming up at the same area will be ready by June 2018. The six-storied building is under construction and department is spending Rs 150 crore.

The new hospital will have specialist units like cardiology, nephrology and neurology, along with special life support system unit, modernised advanced laboratory and intensive care unit, said sources.

"Once the multi super-specialty building turns operational, sophisticated medical equipment worth Rs 64 crores would be installed. Also, the hospital will get 268 additional beds," said Deb.

The minister said that at present, NBMCH caters around 1,200 patients at a time in the wards. A proposal has been sent to Swasthya Bhawan in Calcutta to increase the number of beds to 1,473.