Plagued by a shortage of doctors at the Darjeeling district hospital, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has decided to recruit new faces by offering them more incentives and better facilities.
While inaugurating a Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the hospital today, GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung said: "We have a substantial shortage of doctors at the district hospital despite the monthly pay scale being around Rs40,000-45,000. Since health is an important issue, we will try to ensure more doctors come to the hills and for this we will pay them Rs60,000-65,000. We will be placing newspaper advertisements soon.” Gurung further said the new recruits would be provided with proper accommodation facilities and their wards placed in good schools, adding their dedication is a must.
The district hospital needs at least 45 doctors, but there are only 12 of them at present and the shortage needs to be filled up urgently. All the doctors are appointed on contractual basis through the National Rural Health Mission and this will be done under the National Health Mission from now. While general duty medical officers are paid Rs 40,000 per month, specialists get Rs 50,000, according to a hospital source. But despite the salaries being attractive, doctors from the plains hesitate or even refuse to come to the hills citing various problems, including political ones. The GTA chairman also inaugurated a 10-bedded High Dependency Unit and another 10-bedded CCU that altogether cost Rs1 crore. The CCU is equipped with the latest gadgets, including a multi-channel monitor, an oxygen supply pipeline, a ventilator and blood gas analyser, among others. Five doctors and 12 nurses have been trained to handle the unit.
"We will not compromise on the issue of healthcare and education system. But we need the people to remain aware and support our endeavours," said the GTA chief executive.The GTA has also promised to install an MRI machine at the district hospital provided it offers land. "The NHPC has promised us Rs2 crore as part of their corporate social responsibility. We can install the machine any moment, but the hospital must provide us suitable land," said Gurung, even as he informed the NHPC is setting up a Rs40-crore engineering college near Tinchuley, Takdah as promised earlier. When asked whether land would be made available for an MRI machine, Dr S Bhowmick, the chief medical officer of health (Darjeeling district), said: "We have sufficient space to install an MRI machine at Victoria hospital, which functioned as the main building before. But we will require 600KV of power and this has to be taken care of.”
The CMOH further said plans are afoot for a sick newborn care unit with incubators at the old Victoria hospital premises that at present is being used by female CRPF cadres stationed there ever since the last round of agitation for statehood. The maternity ward presently in Eden hospital will also be shifted to Victoria hospital, informed the CMOH.(EOI)
While inaugurating a Critical Care Unit (CCU) at the hospital today, GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung said: "We have a substantial shortage of doctors at the district hospital despite the monthly pay scale being around Rs40,000-45,000. Since health is an important issue, we will try to ensure more doctors come to the hills and for this we will pay them Rs60,000-65,000. We will be placing newspaper advertisements soon.” Gurung further said the new recruits would be provided with proper accommodation facilities and their wards placed in good schools, adding their dedication is a must.
The district hospital needs at least 45 doctors, but there are only 12 of them at present and the shortage needs to be filled up urgently. All the doctors are appointed on contractual basis through the National Rural Health Mission and this will be done under the National Health Mission from now. While general duty medical officers are paid Rs 40,000 per month, specialists get Rs 50,000, according to a hospital source. But despite the salaries being attractive, doctors from the plains hesitate or even refuse to come to the hills citing various problems, including political ones. The GTA chairman also inaugurated a 10-bedded High Dependency Unit and another 10-bedded CCU that altogether cost Rs1 crore. The CCU is equipped with the latest gadgets, including a multi-channel monitor, an oxygen supply pipeline, a ventilator and blood gas analyser, among others. Five doctors and 12 nurses have been trained to handle the unit.
"We will not compromise on the issue of healthcare and education system. But we need the people to remain aware and support our endeavours," said the GTA chief executive.The GTA has also promised to install an MRI machine at the district hospital provided it offers land. "The NHPC has promised us Rs2 crore as part of their corporate social responsibility. We can install the machine any moment, but the hospital must provide us suitable land," said Gurung, even as he informed the NHPC is setting up a Rs40-crore engineering college near Tinchuley, Takdah as promised earlier. When asked whether land would be made available for an MRI machine, Dr S Bhowmick, the chief medical officer of health (Darjeeling district), said: "We have sufficient space to install an MRI machine at Victoria hospital, which functioned as the main building before. But we will require 600KV of power and this has to be taken care of.”
The CMOH further said plans are afoot for a sick newborn care unit with incubators at the old Victoria hospital premises that at present is being used by female CRPF cadres stationed there ever since the last round of agitation for statehood. The maternity ward presently in Eden hospital will also be shifted to Victoria hospital, informed the CMOH.(EOI)