Proposed health hub blueprint gets nod of Regulatory body

KOLKATA: West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) has approved the blueprint of the proposed health hub in the state. The Commission will soon submit the proposal for setting up the health hub to the state government for its clearance.

WBCERC a couple of months ago had engaged Dr Sugata Dasgupta, head of the department of Critical Care in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to prepare a concept paper. Dr Dasgupta has chalked out a detailed plan as to how a dedicated health hub can be set up in the state.

According to the sources in the Commission, a unique health hub would be constructed with an aim to provide better health-care services to the patients. WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee in presence of senior health department officials, doctors and members of the Commission held a number of meetings in this regard.

"We will soon submit the proposal to the state government which will decide whether the health hub would be set up by the state government or the private players or through a PPE model. The health hub would have all the facilities right from the medicine stores up to the rehabilitation centres. An advanced referral system would be put in place. The health hub would remain under direct control of the Commission. There will be an in-house redressal system in the health hub where patients' grievances would be heard. People will no longer need to visit South India for availing better treatment," Banerjee said.

Banerjee also said that they would urge the State government to tag more doctors who would take part in the hearing carried out by the Commission from time to time. The Commission is eager to accelerate the hearing process further for the quick disposal of pending cases. The WBCERC has already disposed of most of the cases already. According to Banerjee, only 50-60 cases are still pending with the Commission which includes some old cases and some new one.

It may be mentioned here that the Commission increased the number of hearings in December last year to resolve most of the cases. WBCERC Chairperson Banerjee said that they would organize a 'thanks giving ceremony' to felicitate the health workers in various government and private health establishments for performing Covid duty. Banerjee said that Bengal is among the top states in the country to handle the Covid situation in a much better way.