Anandamay Barman, Member of Legislative Assembly from Matigara Naxalbari in Siliguri , has urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to speed up the opening of the Super Specialty block at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital NBMC&H). In his letter to the CM, Mr. Barman has asked for an update on the status of the Super Specialty block, which was approved under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana in 2014.

It should be noted that while the outdoor section of the block was inaugurated in 2022, it still remains nonfunctional and is starting to deteriorate due to neglect. “Furthermore, there is a severe shortage of specialist doctors, nurses, technical staff, and administrative support hindering its functioning. This is causing hundreds of patients in need of critical treatments in departments such as Neurology, Cardiology-thoracic, Nephrology, Plastic surgery, and Gastroenterology to be deprived of proper care at this state-run medical institution,” Mr Barman wrote.

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According to Mr. Barman, this Super Speciality facility at NBMC&H was built with advanced equipment worth Rs 25 crores provided by the government. But despite setting up 4- 5 cath labs in the block, they remain unused due to its non-operationalization. There are also reports that specialised equipment purchased with these funds is being taken from this hospital and given to others – a wastage of government resources and mismanagement of public assets. “The operationalisation of this Super Speciality block will not only benefit people from North Bengal but also those from Sikkim, Bihar, Assam and neighbouring countries like Nepal who will have access to topnotch medical services in Siliguri without having to travel elsewhere,” Mr Barman said. The delay in opening this super speciality unit at NBMC&H is unfortunate and a significant loss for both patients and public resources, he added.