Silchar Red Cross to construct five-storey hospital building

From a correspondent

Silchar, Nov 27: The hospital run by Indian Red Cross Society here in this town has been selflessly rendering healthcare services to patients, particularly to those who belong to the poorer sections of the society. The healthcare establishment has seen an exponential increase in the number of patients over the past 2 decades. The work load is immense in this hospital which is located in a busy thorough fare of the town. There is a huge shortage of beds in the hospital. Besides, the hospital conducts a number of health camps including cancer and health awareness programme, eye camps among others on a regular basis. To reduce the shortage of beds, the Silchar branch of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) has decided to construct a new 5 storey building in its campus to accommodate the ever increasing number of patients in the hospital. It was informed to media-persons by the members of IRCS district committee in a press-meet held in the hospital premises on Thursday.

 Dilip Kar, chairman of the committee, said the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, S Viswathan, has taken a persol initiative to help the committee in this regard. Engineers Siddharth Bhattacharjee, Ashim Dey and Rajan Bhattacharjee are into the engineering aspects of the project. The estimated cost for the project is Rs.4.25 crore. He said that the committee has impressed upon many organizations including Indian Oil Corporation, Sports Authority of India among others, through the Deputy Commissioner, for dotions.

 Kar further said that in the year 2007, ONGC doted an amount of Rs.15 lakh for construction of a women and children wards. But, the amount could not be utilized for the purpose due to lack of adequate space in the existing hospital building. The unutilized amount was deposited in bank and today it stands at Rs.24 lakh including interests. The committee has now decided to use the amount for construction of the new building. The maging committee of the hospital has taken permission, through the Deputy Commissioner, from ONGC authorities in this regard.

 Dr. Akhil Chandra Paul, secretary of the committee, said a new building is the need of the hour to overcome the shortage of beds in the hospital. The patients are being treated in the corridors and floor of the hospital due to acute shortage of sufficient number of beds. Arindam Bhattacharjee, treasurer of IRCS, Silchar, said that the entire work is being persolly monitored by S Viswathan, IAS. The construction work is proceeding smoothly.

 Anja Deb, member of the committee, said the local unit recently met the Governor of Assam, P B Acharya and briefed him about the project. The Governor assured them of all possible help and assistance in this regard. Besides, Renuka Devi Barkataki, chairperson of Indian Red Cross Society, Assam State Branch, has assured them of total cooperation for the successful completion of the project.

 Anja Deb added to say that out of 4 hospitals of the organization in the state, the Silchar branch is the most developed. The hospital charges nomil fee from the patients. In many cases, the hospital authorities take only a part of the charges from patients who mostly belong to economically poorer sections of the society and cannot pay even the nomil fees charged by the hospital.

 Dr. Akhil Chandra Paul said that the hospital has only one resident doctor in its payroll, while around 20 doctors visit the patients. It should be mentioned here that a number of doctors render their services for free or at immensely subsidized rates. The health workers including the nurses and ward boys among others take a pittance as salary in comparison to other healthcare establishments of the valley. The hospital also runs a blood bank, he added to say. On being asked about the issue of annual general meeting (AGM) of the committee, Dilip Kar said that the committee had organized a meeting in this regard on November 18 and it has been decided that a special general meeting will be held tentatively on January 31, 2016. Kar further said that the total of number of life and associated members of the society is around 900 and 105 respectively. The pending membership cards will soon be distributed. The members urged upon the citizens and organizations, both public and private, to dote as much as possible for the project and take initiative for further improvement and development of the hospital.