Critical care block to come up at NBMCH

SNS, SILIGURI. 2 JANUARY 2023: A 50- bed critical care block is all set to come up at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) in Siliguri. Once setup, the Centre-funded project will help critical care treatment, officials have said.

Sources said that the Union ministry of health and family welfare has accorded approval of funds for t he project recently and it will be provided in a phased manner.

According to doctors, the need for such a critical care facility was felt badly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the healthcare infrastructure was overburdened.

"The health care infrastructure had to struggle to provide critical care beds during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Apart from this, the critical care facilities are always required in tertiary cam hospitals. It will help develop critical care management," said a critical care expert.

Sources said t he Centre had earlier given its nod for the project at the NBMCH.

"We have recently received financial approval from the Centre for the 50-bed critical care block," said NBMCH superintendent Dr Sanjay Mallik.

The NBMCH has a 24-bed hybrid critical care unit (CCU), but sources said patients were admitted in only 14 beds.

NBMCH authorities said lack of human resource, doctors, and medical technicians had hit the full-fledged functioning of the unit.

Doctors said there had always been high demand for CCU beds. There were 10 beds in the unit earlier.

"Now, we have to wait and see when actually the proposed block is readied for patient service," a source said.