Agartala, September 01, 2023: Tripura Chief Minister Prof Dr. Manik Saha on Thursday night announced that the state’s Health department is taking proactive measures to reinforce district hospitals with the aim of relieving the strain on Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital (GBP) in the capital city as the primary referral healthcare center in the region.
Dr. Saha made these declarations during an unannounced late-night visit to AGMC and GBP Hospital on the late night of Thursday last, accompanied by Dr. Debasish Basu, the Secretary of the Health department, the Director of Health Services, Medical Superintendent, healthcare officials, and doctors.
Along with the Health officials, inspected various wards of AGMC & GBP hospital and boy's hostel facility.
Interacted with the doctors & patients in the hospital and the students to know about the existing facilities.
Also had discussions regarding infrastructure development in… pic.twitter.com/kOcSN7MRrU
— Prof.(Dr.) Manik Saha (@DrManikSaha2) August 31, 2023
During a conversation with the media persons, Dr. Saha explained that his surprise visit was conducted to assess the facilities available to the state’s residents and to identify any potential shortcomings. He also mentioned that he inspected the Medicine and Radiology departments, interacted with students residing in hostels on the hospital premises, and commended the medical staff for their dedication to patient care.
Chief Minister Dr. Saha, who also oversees the Health portfolio, emphasized, “This medical college and hospital are on par with other healthcare institutions. The existing medical infrastructure and facilities have improved over time. The only requirement is vigilant maintenance of these resources. The medical professionals and nurses are diligently delivering healthcare services to patients and their families.”
However, Dr. Saha acknowledged an issue with ventilation in the Medicine department and instructed Health Secretary Dr. Basu to address it promptly.
Responding to inquiries about a shortage of nurses, Dr. Saha revealed that the Health department plans to recruit 175 nurses immediately following the conclusion of the by-election, which had been delayed due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct.
Dr. Saha concluded by saying, “While I often visit GBP Hospital to meet certain patients, today’s visit was aimed at understanding the available facilities and identifying areas for further improvement to better serve the common people of the state. Strengthening district hospitals in terms of medical infrastructure and facilities is crucial to alleviate the workload at GBP Hospital.”
