UK-based doctors to provide modern health services

Howrah, Apr 6 (UNI) With a view to provide modern scientific treatment as well as state-of-the-art medical facilities to the poor, at affordable costs, a group of UK-based doctors, originally from West Bengal, will return to the state by the end of this year.

''As part of this aim, a hospital and research centre - 'Sanjiban' - has been coming up with the first phase of construction work, nearing completion at Baikunthapur near Fuleshwar, 50 km from the city, and medical services are likely to be initiated by the end of this year,'' president of Chikitsabrati Udyog Dr Subhasis Mitra, the mastermind of the Rs 20 crore project, said here yesterday.

The deplorable condition of health services, both at the public and private sectors in the state, had prompted the doctors to return home from the UK, Dr Mitra said.

The hospital will have its own power generating plants, including biogas, utilising the bio-mass and kitchen waste.

Dr Mitra and other members of his team, who met various leaders and innumerable local people from all walks of life at the hospital premises, claimed that they had launched the project on a social perspective with cent per cent professionalism.

However, they admitted that modern scientific treatment could not be offered completely free-of-cost.

But cost-saving measures could be adopted in many ways for the beneficiaries encouraging health insurance schemes for the people across the society, Dr Mitra said.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy General Manager of National Insurance Limited S Mukherjee said the National Insurance would be launching a couple of micro-level schemes for medical insurance - Gramin Suraksha Beema and Gramin Swasthya Beema - which could help poor people in availing medical treatment, adding that 40 agents were also appointed and trained for the purpose.

Dr Mitra claimed that the hospital would function with the motto that health was a service, not a commodity.

Local MP and senior Marxist leader Hannan Molla criticised a section of medical professionals, private hospitals and nursing homes for fleecing poor people.

He also admitted that the state government had failed to provide proper health service to the people under the capitalist system and had to depend on Private Sector Investment.

Besides, eminent film and theatrical personality Sova Sen made a commitment to donate her body after her death to the Sanjiban Hospital for research.

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