Free treatment for all in districts

TNN,Oct 23, 2014, KOLKATA: From now, all patients will be able to avail medical services free of cost in all village and district level government hospitals and health centres across the state.

The free medical services include outdoor and surgical treatment and diagnosis. All paying beds in district hospitals will also become free beds. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee made this announcement through her Facebook page on Wednesday.

"I would like to share with you a decision that we have taken in the health sector for the downtrodden and the common people. Henceforth, all patients will receive free treatment, free diagnostics and free surgery in all government hospitals and health centres from village to district level," the chief minister posted on her Facebook page.

"All paying beds are now being converted into free beds. There will be no bed charges for patients, even in CCU and cabins of government hospitals up to district level. Thus, all the commoners, including APL, BPL, SC, ST, OBC, minority community, will be benefitted," the post said.

The chief minister also posted that the state's budget allocation had been increased substantially for providing free medicine in OPDs. "Our government is providing free medicines in OPDs and indoor patients in government hospitals since January 2013. For this, we have substantially increased our medicine budget from a meagre Rs 80 Crore in 2010-11 to more than Rs 400 crore. Now, this decision will give nearly 76% people in Bengal who avail treatment in government hospitals a significant relief," the chief minister posted on Facebook.

Earlier, the state health department identified healthcare units located in remote rural areas and upgraded their infrastructure.

On Wednesday, the chief minister inaugurated two new academic buildings at SSKM Hospital, a digital X-ray unit at M R Bangur Hospital and an MRI unit at National Medical College and Hospital. During the inauguration ceremony of academic buildings at SSKM, Mamata criticized the Centre for increasing the prices of several life-saving drugs.