‘Union govt delaying Super Specialty Block of NBMCH’

SILIGURI: Gautam Deb, Chairman of Rogi Kalyan Samity (RKS) (Patient’s Welfare Committee) and Mayor of Siliguri blamed the Union government for the delay in the work of the Super Specialty Block at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH).

Deb held a review meeting of RKS on Tuesday at the hospital and after the meeting, he said that the Central government was responsible for the delay.

“The Super Specialty Block of the North Bengal Medical College Hospital is still not fully operational due to the negligence of the Central government. The Union government

was supposed to provide a few machines for the block, which they could not give yet. Therefore, the block cannot be fully operational owing to which patients are facing problems,” said Gautam Deb. In 2014, the Union Ministry of Health sanctioned Rs 150 crore for building a super specialty block in NBMCH premises, the work for which started in 2015.

In 2018, the government cancelled the contract and blacklisted the company which was engaged in the construction work for not completing the work on time. After that, a fresh tender was called.

Thereafter, five outdoor patients departments (OPDs) have started operating from the block, but the Union government was supposed to provide a few machines for the block from Muzaffarpur, which they have not sent yet. These include machines for cath lab, scanners etc.

“MLAs of Opposition parties, who are members of RKS, did not attend a single meeting. The Union government is intentionally doing this, causing difficulties for patients. This hospital will be given an international-standard facility for which I will start work after elections,” Deb added.