Darjeeling gets new public health lab and observation room

Darjeeling: Hours before the model code of conduct came into effect with the announcement of election schedule on Sunday, a state of the art District Integrated Public Health Laboratory (DIPHL) along with an observation room was inaugurated by Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) Chief Anit Thapa in Darjeeling hospitals. He also announced that an order has already been issued regarding increment for district hospital manual contingency workers at present on the agitation path.

At around 10:30 am on Sunday, Thapa along with GTA and health department officials inaugurated the observation room at the Darjeeling Sadar Hospital and the DIPHL at the Victoria Hospital in Darjeeling. Rajesh Chauhan, Deputy Chairman, GTA talking to Millennium Post stated “A 10 bedded observation room has come up at the Sadar hospital. There are 2 triage beds (sorting patients by emergency.) Earlier any patients coming to the hospital would go to the Emergency, there the doctors would do a medical check-up 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.”

The state of the art DIPHL that was inaugurated on Sunday is located at the Victoria Hospital along with the OPD. The upgraded laboratory along with conducting the regular tests also boasts of a separate micro biological unit. “They will conduct tests for sub-divisional as well as block hospitals of the GTA also” added Chauhan.

Meanwhile the district hospital manual contingency workers under the GTA who have launched a cease work demanding inclusion in the pay band system. They have been on a sit-in demonstration at Lalkothi, the GTA secretariat in Darjeeling for the past week. The agitating workers met Thapa during the inauguration. “You have to discard the path of agitation and come to the table. You are all working in an emergency service, the hospital where you can’t afford to go for a cease work. An order has already been issued for the increment of your pays. I had assured you this and it has been done” stated Thapa.

The GTA Chief stated that despite the 22 from Darjeeling hospital and 7 from Kalimpong hospital not having any recruitment papers, their appointments were streamlined with Thapa at the helm of affairs at the GTA. “We even increased your monthly wages from Rs 1,500 to Rs 6,000” he added. Unconfirmed sources state that under the recent increment it has been increased to Rs 15,000.