CM opens state's first trauma care unit at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday inaugurated the state's first trauma care unit at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital through a video conference from Uttark anya in Jalpaiguri where she is currently touring.

It may be mentioned that RG Kar is the first medical college hospital in the state to have a separate dedicated building for trauma care. Although the building has been built more than a year ago, it was not made available for the patients due to lack of proper infrastructure especially the scarcity of doctors. The eight storeyed building of the trauma care unit will have various departments which include medicine, neuro-medicine, neuro-surgery, orthopedic, anesthesiology. Patients will be able to avail specialized health care facilities under the same roof. The new building will have 150 beds. Chief Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed conference room at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

According to the sources in the hospital, the critical patients would be admitted in the trauma care unit on an emergency basis. Accident victims or any trauma patient will be kept in this newly built trauma centre where the patients would be given special care. It will have all the modern facilities to handle such patients.

The victims of fire incidents or those seriously injured in accidents would be taken to the trauma care unit of the hospital where they would be given immediate attention. It is important to transfer these patients to the hospital equipped with trauma care facilities. This could save lives of many accident victims in the state, the senior officials of the state Health department believe.

Sources said that the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital authorities had written to the senior health officials of the state Health department urging them to open the trauma care centre and put up adequate infrastructure including availability of the doctors and nursing staff round the clock. A special committee was formed to look into the matter. The committee members also held meetings with the hospital authorities.

Dr Santanu Sen, who is the Chairman of the Rogi Kalayan Samiti at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, said that admission of patients at the trauma care unit will start from Wednesday following the inauguration of the building. He also said that the most advanced trauma care centre has come up at the hospital following the Chief Minister's initiative. Dr Sen on Wednesday inaugurated a 'Patient Party Meet Centre' at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital where the doctors met the family members of the patients who are admitted to the various departments of the hospital.