State Health Commission set to propose setting up of health hub
Kolkata: The West Bengal Clinical Establishment Regulatory Commission (WBCERC) is set to propose the setting up of a unique health hub in the state with an aim to provide better health-care services to the patients.
A meeting was held by the WBCERC Chairperson Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee in presence of senior health department officials, doctors and members of the Commission in this regard. The Commission has urged Dr Sugata Dasgupta, head of the department of Critical Care in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital to prepare a concept paper within one month. A detailed plan would be chalked out as to how a dedicated health hub can set up in the state.
Justice (retired) Banerjee said that they would submit a proposal to the state government about the plan after Dr Dasgupta will submit the concept paper. It is yet to be decided whether the health hub would be set up by the state government or the private players or through a PPE model.
"The health hub would have all the facilities right from the medicine stores up to the rehabilitation centers. An advanced referral system would be put in place. The health hub would remain under direct control of the Commission. There will be an in-house redressal system in the health hub where patients' grievances would be heard. People will no longer need to visit South India for availing better treatment," Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said.
The WBCERC also issued two fresh advisories to the private hospitals restricting the bed charges. The advisory number 18 says that if it is found that a patient spends one an hour or two extra on the day of discharge, he/she needs not to pay any bed charges on that day. If the patient spends around 6 hours extra, he/she will pay ¼ of the bed charges or if he/she spends less than 12 hours extra, the hospitals can take only ½ of the bed charges. If the stay is over 12 hours, the patients have to pay in full. In another advisory the Commission stated that all the earlier advisories would be applicable on non Covid patients as well.
"We are also planning if a call center can be launched in case of private hospitals for the dissemination of information about the patients in a better way. The Call center introduced by the state government has proved to be extremely beneficial for the relatives of the patients in Covid situation. We have a plan to introduce a similar system in the private health care system," Justice (retired) Ashim Kumar Banerjee said.