CM launches healthcare projects for South Dinajpur dist virtually

BALURGHAT: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday, virtually inaugurated an MRI unit at Balurghat District Hospital from Kolkata. A 24-bed hybrid CCU unit in each of the two hospitals —Balurghat District Hospital and Gangarampur Superspecialty Hospital — was also inaugurated by the Chief Minister on Thursday at a cost of Rs 2.62 crore (Rs 1.26 crore each was allocated for Balurghat Hospital and Gangarampur Super Specialty Hospital).

“Here, patients from outside can get MRI done at a highly subsidised rate. In house-patients of the district hospital will not have to pay for. Now one does not have to take patients from the hospital elsewhere for MRI,” said Bijin Krishna, district magistrate, South Dinajpur. Krishnendu Bikas Bag, the superintendent of Balurghat District Hospital said that Tesala MRI machine was installed under PPP model by Eskag Sanjeevani Pvt. Ltd. According to him, the cost of the project is Rs 10.40 crore. It may be noted that on December 7, 2021, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for MRI services in Balurghat from an administrative public meeting, at Raiganj, in North Dinajpur district. Earlier, as there was no MRI service in this hospital and patients of South Dinajpur had to visit Malda, Siliguri or Kolkata for an MRI. Apart from these, Banerjee inaugurated 20-bed additional wards in the three rural hospitals of the district — Kumarganj, Hili and Harirampur. The total cost of this project was Rs 2.66 crore. These wards will be used for treating patients requiring isolation in pandemic times and can accommodate other patients in normal times. An AYUSH OPD was also inaugurated at Chaloon block primary health centre by Banerjee at a cost of Rs 16.81 lakh.