GTA sets up help desk in Darjeeling district hospital

SNS, SILIGURI, 23 NOVEMBER 20223 : Taking cue from the incident the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GT) has finally set up a Help Desk at Darjeeling district hospital.

The GTA has also deputed its deputy chairman Rajesh Chouhan to look after the Darjeeling district hospital.

Notably, the GTA Sabhasad Arun Sigchi is the in charge of the Health Department in the Hills.

The GTA yesterday suspended two doctors and 'removed' the superintendent of Darjeeling district hospital after the death of a young pregnant lady, resident of Lower Lingten, Kainjaley Gram Panchayat under Bijanbari Block, at the Darjeeling district hospital on Tuesday.

Following agitations, the GTA Sabhasad Arun Sigchi, deputy chairman Mr Chouhan and other health officials held a series of meetings on this issue yesterday and finally decided to suspend two doctors Uden Bhutia and Shashank Gupta.

The GTA officials also adopted a resolution over removal of Dinesh Biswas, superintendent of the district hospital, from his post immediately.

To run the hospital the GTA officials have decided that Deputy CMOH will function as superintendent of the hospital, said Deputy Chairman of the GTA Rajesh Chouhan.

Notably family members as well as irate locals refused to accept the body of the pregnant woman and started agitating after her death. The GTA officials had to hold a meeting to pacify them today. Later the family members finally accepted the body after the CM and Health officials took stern action against two doctors and superintendent of the hospital for their alleged negligence of duty.

Mr Sigchi also alleged that most of gynaecologists of the eight posted in Darjeeling district hospital do not carry out their duties seriously.

Deputy chairman of the GTA, Mr Chouhan today said they have already introduced new systems to provide health services to the commoners.

"A total of eight new cabins have been set up in the district hospital," Mr Chouhan said today.

After the incident the Darjeeling MP Raju Bista yesterday opportunity to criticize the present situation of health services in the Hills.

"Health is a transferred subject to the GTA, but those running the GTA are so incompetent that they are unable to manage the Health Department proper. In Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mink Hospitals basic diagnostic facilities are not available, For almost every diagnostic tests patients are forced to either head to Siliguri or expensive private clinics. Government hospitals in the Hills lack equipment, and face acute shortage of doctors, nurses, and other staff. The government run blood banks are almost always empty.  Patients who live in rural areas are made to run from pillar to post to get simple treatments. As the safai karmacharis have shown today, the GTA Health Department has failed to provide win basic cleaning equipment. In Darjeeling District Hospital, the government run ambulances do not function. Patients are forced to rely on private ambulances The lift in the hospital has been defunct for ages, and the GTA Health Department has failed to fix it till date," Darjeeling MP Raju Bista claimed.

"I demand that a complete review of hospitals in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts should be undertaken, and we must ensure that services are made functional across all hospitals in our region," Mr Bista added.