North Bengal Medical College Hospital expands patient care with new de-addiction center

Siliguri: In a major expansion of healthcare infrastructure, North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH) is strengthening its patient-care facilities with a new indoor de-addiction centre, additional psychiatry beds and approved separate hostels for male and female medical students.

Located at Susrutanagar on the outskirts of Siliguri, NBMCH is the oldest and largest state-run referral hospital in North Bengal and caters to patients from several districts of the region.  

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According to the news reports, last Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah virtually inaugurated the new de-addiction centre at NBMCH from Siliguri. The facility operates under the hospital’s psychiatry department.

The new facility has 40 beds, including 30 beds for psychiatric patients and 10 dedicated to de-addiction treatment. It has been opened on the second floor of the chest ward. The 10 de-addiction beds have been divided equally between male and female patients, sources said.

Previously, NBMCH provided de-addiction services through its outpatient department. The absence of dedicated inpatient beds had made prolonged treatment difficult for patients requiring regular medical supervision.

Speaking to The Telegraph India, sources said, “De-addiction treatment often requires prolonged medical care, regular monitoring and treatment of associated mental health conditions. In some cases, rehabilitation support is also required. The availability of dedicated inpatient beds will allow patients requiring such care to remain under regular medical supervision.”

The psychiatry department has also been allotted 10 additional beds in its main indoor ward.

The expansion is expected to improve the department’s capacity to admit patients requiring specialised psychiatric treatment and prolonged medical supervision.

The hospital is also taking steps to improve the implementation of the ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) app among patients.

Health officials have identified a lack of awareness and difficulties related to Aadhaar linking as some of the major challenges affecting the process.

“To address this, ASHA workers will be engaged in door-to-door awareness campaigns to explain the use and benefits of ABHA. Those working at the ticket counter in NBMCH will also be trained to handle the process more efficiently and reduce delays for patients arriving at the hospital,” said a source, reports Telegraph India.

The state health department has approved two separate hostels for male and female medical students at NBMCH.

The West Bengal Medical Services Corporation Limited has been tasked with taking forward the infrastructure-related work. The proposed hostels are expected to improve accommodation facilities for medical students and further strengthen the institution’s academic infrastructure.

“We are focusing on improving the infrastructure of the medical college and strengthening facilities so that patients and students can benefit from better services,” said Sujoy Mistry, the principal of NBMCH.

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