MRI, CT scan facilities on anvil at Siliguri hospital

11 January 2012
SILIGURI, 11 JAN: The Siliguri district hospital authorities have set
aside space in the existing hospital premises for setting up MRI, CT
scan, digital X-ray and other facilities under a
private-public-partnership (PPP) model.
The state health department had earlier instructed the hospital
authorities to provide 1,100 sq feet space to set up the facilities.
The Darjeeling district chief medical officer of health-III, and
acting medical superintendent of Siliguri hospital, Dr Ashok Biswas,
said the hospital does not have adequate land for a new building.
Accordingly, after consultation with the chief medical officer of
health, Dr Subir Bhowmik, and Siliguri MLA Dr Rudranath Bhattacharya,
and departmental engineers concerned, a space had been selected on the
ground floor of the hospital, which had been lying unused for some
time. Sources said the floor, close to a maternity ward, was meant to
accommodate patients in case of an outbreak of susceptible or enteric
diseases. The Siliguri district hospital currently does not have CT
scan facilities. Relatives of serious patients are asked to get CT
scans done either at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital or
at other private health centres.
Chief minister Miss Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the hospital
on 18 September, had asked the hospital authorities to set up these
facilities in the district hospital. The acting medical
superintendent, Dr Biswas, said: “We will finalise the identified
space after consulting the officials concerned, including doctors and
other hospital staff.” sns