The suffering health system of Cooch Behar

 

COOCH BEHAR, Oct. 29: Tele-medicine and Pay Clinic facilities were introduced at Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Hospital in Cooch Behar with much fanfare. But these two units are now on the verge of extinction.

 

Tele-medicine facility was introduced at MJN Hospital in 2004. At the inauguration ceremony health department officials had promised of offering a new horizon in availing of medical service facility at a far away district like Cooch Behar. Treating of skin diseases were initiated at the beginning. School of Tropical Medicine was linked with this unit. But the Tele-medicine facility was never found running well. It was still a crippled unit as it was during its earlier days.

 

When inquired about the present situation of the Tele-medicine facility, Dr Sunil Kumar Shil, chief medical officer of health, Cooch Behar, admitted that the unit was not functioning satisfactorily. Cases are not coming and so the unit is lying almost useless. "We are now considering of providing a larger space for the unit to make it an useful one", he said.

 

The much-publicised Pay Clinic facility is also suffering. It was introduced at MJN Hospital in 2002. The plan behind the facility was to offer services of selected doctors to the patients who prefer them. At the Pay Clinic they were to pay Rs 40 only as visit to a doctor of their choice where the same doctor takes double or triple of the amount at other chambers. The unit is now a defunct one.

 

The CMOH Dr Shil opined that to make the Pay Clinic unit successful the help of the non-practicing doctors should have to be taken. The clinic was to be made attractive as private chambers. In Cooch Behar the Pay Clinic was introduced with practising doctors who are available in outer chambers too. One can consult them at those chambers at any appointed time. In this perspective the Pay Clinic facility cannot run successfully, he opined.

 

Mr Jnanendra Chandra Chanda, Cooch Behar Zilla Parishad sabhadhipati and also the chairman of District Health and Family Welfare Samiti, said they are trying to resume the services at the Tele-medicine and Pay Clinic units afresh. These units were introduced to offer medical services for special cases. The DHFWS will review all aspects of these units before adopting a decision. These should function again, he opined.

 

Another ten-bedded unit named Sick Newborn Care Unit (CNCU) was introduced at MJN Hospital a few months ago. The aim behind setting up of this unit was to check deaths of newborns (0-7 days). The response for this facility is good and the unit is also functioning well but it is too early to say anything about its success, the CMOH opined. []