Siliguri civic body to provide two hearses to NBMCH to help financially-challenged families

Sanchita Aich Bag | MP | 17 May 2023 : The Siliguri Municipal Corporation will provide two hearses to assist in transporting bodies of patients treated at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) for families who are financially deprived. 

The Rogi Kalyan Samity (Patient Welfare Association) has taken steps to address the problems faced for not having enough hearse at the NBMCH. Goutam Deb, the chairperson of the association and the Mayor of Siliguri stated this during a meeting of the Hospital Patient Welfare Association on Wednesday. 

The hospital’s 14 ambulances (Nischoy yan), which are used to drop and pick up patients for free, have been directed to be used to transport bodies. In addition, two Siliguri Municipal Corporation hearses are available for use if required. The hospital administration will cover the expense of the fuel used by the vehicle. Furthermore, two more hearses will be arranged for the hospital. 

One vehicle will be arranged by the Mayor (Corporate Social Responsibility) himself, and another hearse will be provided by the district administration. “Currently, two hearses of the municipal corporation can be used for the hospital. Apart from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, those two vehicles will also serve Siliguri District Hospital. In addition, two more vehicles are being arranged. 

I will arrange one myself and the other one will be provided by district administration,” said the Mayor. A father was recently reported to have had to carry the body of his five-month-old son in a bag from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital. 

Post the incident the hospital administration has taken efforts to avoid occurrences like this one, in which the family of a deceased patient had to endure hardship to transport the body. According to hospital sources, the hospital authorities have already sent 14 bodies to their respective families at their expense. 

Apart from the Mayor, Indrajit Saha, the principal of the hospital; Sanjay Mallick, the superintendent; Tulsi Pramanik, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) of Darjeeling district; Priyanka Singh, the Sub-Divisional Officer of Siliguri; Chandan Ghosh, the superintendent of the Siliguri District Hospital were present at the meeting. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-civic-body-to-provide-two-hearses-to-nbmch-to-help-financially-challenged-families-519013