At a time when spat between the Centre and the state Bengal continues in connection with withholding central funds for the state under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme, the Union health ministry had given national recognitions to three premier teaching hospitals in Kolkata considering their quality control standard under the NRHM.

The three teaching hospitals are R G Kar Medical College Hospital, Medical College Hospital and B C Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Science, popularly known as B C Roy Memorial Hospital for Children. L S Changsan, NRHM chairman, has recently informed Narayan Swaroop Nigam, principal secretary in charge of the health department. Sources in the health department said that the three hospitals have achieved quality control standards as per ‘Lakshma’ and ‘Muskan’ schemes under the NRHM.

A NRHM team visited the three hospitals a couple of months ago and was satisfied with infrastructure facilities and maintenance of cleanliness and hygienic standards in gynaecology and maternity wards at R G Kar Medical College Hospital and Medical College Hospital. The team also made onthe-spot inspections to see healthcare services in both outdoor clinics and indoor wards in B C Roy Memorial Hospital, sole premier government hospital for childcare in the state. The team members were satisfied with the quality and standard of childcare facilities at the hospital, sources said. Following recommendation reports of the NRHM experts the health ministry gave national recognition to the three hospitals.

The central government will give grants in several lakhs of rupees every year to these hospitals each. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1 December in 2023, seeking his intervention to restore the funds under the National Health Mission (NHM). The funds have been withheld after the state government refused to paint the health and wellness centres in saffron.

Miss Banerjee wrote a letter to the Prime Minister yesterday. Earlier, Miss Banerjee strongly opposed the decision to paint the health and wellness centres in saffron. “What is going on in the country? They had forced the Indian cricketers taking part in ICC World Cricket to wear saffron during net practice. The Metro stations have been painted in saffron, and now they have forced us to paint the health and wellness centres in saffron.