New MRI and observation facility to boost Darjeeling Dist Hosp services

Darjeeling: Darjeeling District Hospital is finally set to get a new MRI machine after the old one remained inoperable for over a year, causing grave inconveniences to patients. Authorities claim that the new machine will arrive within a week. Along with this an observation room will also be made operational shortly.

“The MRI machine has been inoperable due to technical problems since November 8, 2025. This has caused a lot of problems for the patients. Many from the economically backward strata depend on this hospital for treatment. It is not possible for them to undertake a journey to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for MRI. We have been repeatedly meeting the authorities with the demand to ensure that the facility is operational. Finally, the authorities have assured that within a week the issue will be resolved,” claimed Rajesh Gurung of Lakshya Samuha, a social welfare organisation. He also alleged that many medicines meant to be supplied free of cost by the hospital are unavailable.

“We are replacing the faulty MRI machine with a new one. The new machine will arrive within a week. There were a number of problems surrounding the MRI machine. There was no proper earthing. Power fluctuations have been rampant resulting in repeated problems with the MRI. Work is in progress on the earthing and it will be completed in the next three to four days.

We have also got a special voltage stabiliser for the MRI machine from Chennai,” stated Rajesh Chauhan, deputy chairman, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, in-charge of the hospital, talking to the Millennium Post.

Chauhan also stated that a twelve-bedded observation room will be set up at Sadar Hospital, including two triage beds for sorting patients based on the urgency of their condition.

“Earlier any patients coming to the hospital would go to the Emergency, there the doctors would do a medical checkup and either send them directly to the wards if hospitalisation was required or home with a prescription. Now, patients will be kept under observation in this room and accordingly the doctors will decide on the line of treatment; whether hospitalisation is required or not,” added Chauhan.

He further stated that two new lifts will soon become operational, along with the District Integrated Public Health Laboratory, which is housed at Victoria Hospital alongside the OPD.