A medical prescription for Bengal |
Although health was not an election issue, after assuming office in West Bengal, the new chief minister Subhendu Adhikary has already conducted a meeting at SSKM hospital with all hospital superintendents with a mission to make health delivery smooth and to end “Dalal raj” (agents or middlemen usually of ruling parties).
The previous government’s legacy of a threat culture must be abolished and the CM needs to start from scratch. Free treatment for all is impractical; only BPL should get partial free treatment. For others, paid wards must be reintroduced with a professional approach. The West Bengal health system needs to be revamped. State hospitals are plagued with politics, corruption and very weak administration. Firstly, trade union activities must not be allowed in hospitals. Strikes or cease work in hospitals should be banned as it comes under emergency services.
The public health system has improved significantly over the last few decades in areas such as rural healthcare access, maternal health, ambulance services, and health insurance coverage for some surgical procedures under schemes such as ‘Swasthya Sathi’. Yet major challenges remain – like overcrowded Kolkata hospitals, shortage of specialists in districts, uneven infrastructure, long waiting times, and administrative centralisation. A decentralised revamp can make the system more efficient, equitable, and people-centric.
Inter-district competitive excellence in healthcare should be upgraded into a mini-medical hub with ICU beds, advanced diagnostics, trauma care, dialysis, cancer screening, and not just naming them as “super speciality hospitals.” Cities such as Siliguri,........