State government promises uplift of Darjeeling district hospital

EOI, DARJEELING, 13 Jul 2015: North Bengal Development Department minister Gautam Deb on Monday said that the West Bengal government had sanctioned Rs.3.61 crore for various development works in the Darjeeling district hospital.

“The state government has several projects lined up for the Darjeeling district hospital (also called Eden hospital) and we want to implement it so that the hill people are benefited,”the minister said, on the sidelines of the Rogi Kalyan Samity (RKS) meeting in Darjeeling. “The government has sanctioned Rs.3.61 crore under various heads of which Rs.1.99 crore has already been given to the hospital,” he added.

Elaborating on some of the projects, the minister said primary focus was to set up a separate paediatric and sick new born care units in the premises of the now defunct Victoria hospital. “We will shift the paediatric unit to Victoria hospital and also establish a SNCU and dialysis department there,” Deb said.

When asked about the Central forces that are presently housed in the Victoria hospital, the minister said, “Our chief minister has already asked the forces to shift to other place which will be done within 10 days”.

Although, the infrastructure of the Victoria hospital is in shambles but some offices of the district hospital are in operation. The district hospital will also get a new digital x-ray and MRI facility. “The state government has already sanctioned Rs.7 crore for setting up a MRI facility in the Eden hospital for which work is already in progress. We will try to implement most of the projects within the Puja season,” Deb said.

Deb said that the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and the district magistrate had been asked to ensure that the projects were expedited. The minister also said that the NBDD would sanction funds for internal repairing work in the district hospital and asked the authorities to submit a proposal with estimates, besides he also promised to provide two ambulances.

The state government also has plans to establish an Emergency Observation Ward (EOW) in the district hospital and start the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY). “The EOW and the RSBY will greatly benefit the people here, we feel. The district administration will look into this issue,” the minister said.

Another meeting of the RKS of which Deb is the chairman will be held in the third week of September to discuss in details the action taken report. Earlier in the day, the minister attended a programme organized by the state’s Information and Cultural Affairs department and the Nepali Sahitya Sammelan to mark the 201st birth anniversary of renowned Nepali poet, Adi Kavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya at Chowrastha. The minister also visited the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) and interacted with Trinamool Congress activists in the party office.