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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Tragedy exposes hospital plight by Vivek Chhetri

Tragedy exposes hospital plight by Vivek Chhetri

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published Published on Oct 24, 2011   modified Modified on Oct 24, 2011

The Bijanbari bridge collapse has brought to the fore the lack of basic amenities at the hill hospitals, whose staff were yesterday praised by the chief minister for their efficiency in tackling the emergency that arose out of the accident.

But the healthcare system needs more than just praise. Basic equipment like CT scan and MRI machines have not yet been installed at the Darjeeling district hospital while the Bijanbari rural hospital has been waiting for a generator for the past two years. Nearly 100 of the 110 people injured in the bridge accident had been admitted to the Darjeeling district hospital.

There are neither intensive care units (ICU), equipment to map brainstem auditory evoked responses nor specialised units like trauma care to treat accident victims like the ones injured in the bridge collapse.

The chief medical officer of health of Darjeeling, Subir Bhowmick, admitted that the district hospital did not have CT scan or MRI machines.

“We have, however, been promised an MRI machine by the NHPC,” said Bhowmick.

The lack of a generator made matters worse for the medical staff at the Bijanbari hospital. “It was difficult to work without a generator as power went off as soon as the footbridge collapsed,” said a hospital employee.

Bhowmick said the health department had not been able to get a generator for Bijanbari hospital for the past two years.

“Our officials have been running from pillar to post for a generator but it has not yet arrived,” said the doctor.

No official of the DGHC, which is responsible for supplying the generator, could be reached. The doctor, however, said the administration was trying to get more equipment for the hospital.

“An order has already been placed to acquire a colour Doppler for ultrasound and echocardiogram,” said Bhowmick.

Doctors at the Darjeeling hospital also believe that if instruments like C-Arm with orthopaedic operation table had been available in the hills, the number of patients referred to Siliguri would have come down.

“Such instruments are very much needed. If we get the C-Arm (image intensifier) with orthopaedic table, we will not have to send many patients down to Siliguri,” said a doctor from Darjeeling.

Bhowmick, however, said things were improving at the Darjeeling hospital.

“We are planning to construct a three-storey block at the Darjeeling hospital which will have neonatal and burns units and a psychiatric ward. A soil test to set up the building has already been done,” said Bhowmick adding that funds were also likely to be released to set up a ward for treatment of non-communicable diseases like diabetes.

Doctors in Darjeeling, however, said units like intensive therapy, which includes multi-trauma units that also double as ICU should also be set up immediately.

Congress leader and state irrigation minister Manas Bhunia today visited the Darjeeling hospital and said the government would go to any length to treat those injured at Bijanbari.


The Telegraph, 25 October, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111025/jsp/siliguri/story_14663860.jsp


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