Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday inaugurated 15 health projects worth Rs 162 crore and laid the foundation for additional health initiatives worth around Rs 100 crore. She made the announcements while inaugurating several health and other government projects at SSKM Hospital.
As part of its drive to make advanced healthcare accessible to all, the Mamata Banerjee government has launched ‘Ananya’, a new 131-cabin facility (Woodburn-2) offering corporate-level modern medical care at affordable rates in the public sector. The Rs 67-crore project was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
“‘Ananya’ has been created to ensure that people who cannot afford top-class private treatment can access the same quality care at a government facility,” Banerjee said. She added that the Woodburn-2 block can match any private hospital, with specialised SSKM doctors providing treatment.
Announcing the rate chart, Banerjee said a single cabin will cost Rs 5,000, a single suite Rs 8,000, HDU Rs 12,000, and ITU Rs 15,000 per day. She noted that the state
government is prepared to bear a financial deficit to keep treatment affordable.
“We will hold a meeting after six months to assess the deficit of revenue, which the government may face, in order to provide top-class cabin facilities. A cord blood bank store is also being set up at the SSKM,” she added. The Chief Minister further announced that SSKM will soon house Eastern India’s first government-run Bone Bank, a pioneering initiative for the region.
She also highlighted her government’s healthcare achievements, noting that 22 lakh spectacles have been distributed under the ‘Choker Alo’ and over 5.45 crore people across Bengal have benefited from telemedicine services through ‘Swasthya Ingit’.
“We have set up 14 new government medical colleges in the state and 42 superspecialty hospitals as well. About 13,500 Suswasthya Centers, 76 CCUs, 3 HDUs and 17 mother-child hubs have been set up,” she added.