Health Budget hiked to Rs 17,602 cr in 2022-23 from Rs 3,584 cr in 2010-11

kolkata: Claiming that Bengal provides the best health care in state-run hospitals in the country, Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state for Health and Family Welfare presented Rs 17602 crore Health Budget for 2022-23.

She said no where in the country health care in state-run hospitals is free, which includes Dialysis, open heart surgery and even heart transplantation.

She said in 2010-11, the state's Health Budget was Rs 3,584 crore which has gone upto Rs 17602 crore in 2022-23.

She said the state Health department spent Rs 1979 crore for prevention and management of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic.

She paid respect to the doctors and para medical staffs who lost their lives during COVID-19.

The state government had left no stone unturned to provide best treatment to the affected persons.

Apart from increasing the number of beds in the state run hospitals, safe homes had been opened across the state where patients with mild symptoms had been kept. All these safe homes were free of cost.

The Covid patients were given psychological tele consultation, tele medicines free-of-cost.

Critcising the opposition for staging a walk out and not remaining present when the discussion was on she said: "It is most unfortunate that those who criticise the state government had kept themselves away." She said the state government would sign an MoU with Tata Cancer Centre. Mumbai to setup to cancer hospitals at SSKM and the other one at North Bengal Medical College. This will help the people immensely, Bhattacharya mentioned.

The state government has increased the number of seats in the medical colleges to address the shortage of doctors. The number of nursing training schools and colleges has gone up.

Atin Ghosh, Trinamool Congress MLA and member, mayor-in-council (Health) Kolkata Municipal Corporation ( KMC) explained in details the steps taken by the KMC to control the spread of Dengue.

Dengue Detection Centres have been set up in Kolkata and anti-larvae drives are being conducted regularly.