Many affected by diarrhoea in Arambagh
A state of panic persists among the villagers of Pandu gram in Madhupur in Arambagh, as from the past few days several people have come down with diarrhoea.
The Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha’s (GJMM) Kurseong subdivision committee has expressed concern over the condition of the Kurseong subdivisional hospital. Talking to reporters, the president of the party’s Kurseong sub-division president, Kishore Thapa said people visiting the hospital with various complications and ailments and patients’ relatives have been facing a myriad of problems in lack of doctors, other medical professionals and technicians.
“There are several sanctioned posts for different doctors in Kurseong hospital, but it is facing an acute shortage of doctors and technicians. No new doctors have been recruited for the posts that are lying vacant,” Mr Thapa said.
“People or patients in and around Kurseong area are forced to visit private clinics in the plains in Siliguri or other places,” he added. Mr Thapa further said that during their visit to private clinics, not only the patients, but also the patients’ relatives are often subject to harassment.
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“As such, it is very important to have sufficient doctors in the Kurseong hospital itself, to look after the day-to-day medical needs of the local populace. During times of illness, travelling outside for treatment is not only troublesome financially, but mentally and physically as well,” he said.
He added that for the last several decades, the Kurseong hospital is running as a 100- bed hospital, and it still remains the same, though the population of the town and its surrounding areas has shot up manifold.
“An interesting fact is that the up-gradation of the hospital has not been done as per the increase in the population. Instead, the numbers of doctors has gone down,” Mr Thapa lamented. The Kurseong hospital currently has around 124 beds, including those in the ‘paying ward.’
“We will soon lead deputations and serve memorandums to the authorities concerned, including the Board of Administrators of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, regarding the hospital and other town issues,” Mr Thapa said.
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