Raiganj: BDO, Panchayat Samity offices to relocate for trauma centre setup at RGMC

Raiganj: In a landmark decision, North Dinajpur district officials have resolved to relocate the Block Development Office (BDO) and Panchayat Samity offices from their current location, adjacent to the Raiganj Government

Medical College (RGMC) campus, to Karnajora. The move will free up space for the construction of a full-fledged trauma care centre.

The proposal emerged at a recent meeting of the Legislative Assembly’s Health & Family Welfare Standing Committee held at RGMC. Attended by committee chairman Nirmal Majhi and the District Magistrate, the session recognised the pressing need for improved trauma response infrastructure due to frequent road accidents on National Highway 12 (old NH‑34), which skirts Raiganj. MLA Krishna Kalyani pressed for setting up a trauma unit to ensure rapid care before patients are shifted to higher-level facilities.

Kalyani underscored that the cramped RGMC premises made it impractical to build the much-needed trauma facility, prompting the decision to shift administrative offices and utilise the available space.

He said: “We are scouting buildings near Karnajora in the rural belt to house the BDO’s office”. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the trauma care centre will be submitted to the state government seeking fund allocation soon, the MLA added.

Since its inception, the BDO and Panchayat Samity offices have operated within the Raiganj Municipality area, adjacent to the medical college, a location now destined for repurposing. Social workers of Raiganj welcomed the move, noting that a dedicated trauma centre at RGMC can significantly improve survival rates for accident victims.

Prasenjit Dutta, a Raiganj-based social worker, stated: “In the absence of a trauma care facility, numerous surgical patients, especially those who meet with road accidents, are facing difficulties.

Most of the time, they succumb to injuries on the way to shift to other places. We had a long-standing demand for the construction of a modern trauma care centre on Raiganj Government Medical College premises. The decision to set up a modern trauma service hub will significantly boost emergency health care capabilities in Raiganj.”