CM calls for upgradation of all superspecialty hospitals to multisuperspecialty ones

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the first Level-I trauma care centre in Eastern India at the IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital on Monday, marking the birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, which is celebrated as Doctors' Day.

She proposed to set up a pay-clinic in a hospital which would come up on a government plot in front of SSKM Hospital and also instructed additional chief secretary of Health Rajiva Sinha to upgrade all the 43 superspecialty hospitals in the state to multisuperspecialty ones.

Speaking on the occasion of Doctors' Day, Banerjee said: "The state government has a plot just opposite the emergency department of SSKM Hospital. A hospital can be set up with a pay-clinic on a government plot. Around 75 percent of the revenue collected from the patients at the hospital would be spent for the development of the hospital, while the rest would be channelised for providing the fees of the doctors."

After the inauguration of the trauma care centre, the Chief Minister conferred 'Bishistha Chikitsha Samman' on 30 doctors for rendering special services to patients, while lifetime achievement award was given to seven veteran doctors.

During the programme, Banerjee urged the Health department officials to include the nursing staff members and non-medical persons within the ambit of the special awards.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the Bengal government has spent Rs 100 crore for setting up the trauma care centre. New buildings have come up at the hospital as well and as many as 760 posts have been created. There has also been a major infrastructural revamp at all the state-run medical colleges and hospitals.

"Around 16 mother-child hubs have been constructed across the state to provide special care for the mothers and infants. Five health districts have been created. In the far-flung areas, waiting huts have been set up where expecting mothers are getting special care. Institutional delivery has increased in the state from 65 to 97 percent. The infant mortality rate in the state has gone down to 24 from around 32 per 1,000 live births," Banerjee said.

"We must not forget that the doctors' fraternity is our pride. Many doctors in the state-run hospitals

are overburdened with work as they have to attend many patients in a day. Many developments have taken place in the health sector but still there is crisis of doctors in the hospitals,"

she added.