GOALPARA, Oct 4 - The Chief Minister�s free diagnostic services (laboratory services) was inaugurated at the 200-bed Goalpara civil hospital complex on October 2.
Inaugurating the facility, the chief guest MLA (Dudhnoi) Dipak Kumar Rabha said that this is a bold initiative by the BJP Government which will immensely help the poor, particularly the economically-weaker sections of the society, in availing free diagnosis which is essential for providing quality treatment by the doctors. He also urged the hospital authorities to ensure proper delivery of free diagnostic services to the needy people.
The Guest of Honour Goalpara (East) MLA welcomed the Government�s initiatives for the poor and said that inaugurating the services on October 2 is a fiiting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of his birthday. Expressing his apprehensions, he questioned whether the scheme will really benefit the poor or not, but suggested that wider publicity be given across the district so that the poor can reap the benefits of the free diagnostic services available at the Goalpara civil hospital.
Deputy Commissioner, Ghanshyam Dass, who also presided over the meeting, said that the objective behind the CM�s free diagnostic services is that all the people, irrespective of their economic status, can avail a set of health services where CT scan and other laboratory services will be provided free of cost at the civil hospital or the government health institutions. Dass hoped that the facility which is tied up with a private agency with the National Health Mission under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode will run 100% efficiently. He also added that the ASHA workers will have to share major responsibilties in popularising the scheme at the grassroot level. He thanked all for gathering on the auspicious occasion.
The Addl DC Omar Sharif emphasised the importance of diagnosis for delivering quality treatment to the patients by the doctors. He also said that the latest state of art technology laboratories will be equipped with CT scan, X rays and laboratory services and as of now 16 centres including Goalpara out of a total of 28 centres have been already completed and made operational. Sharif also urged all patients to avail free quality laboratory services at the civil hospital instead of going to private testing laboratories which do not have proper facilities for diagnosis. He also informed that all these laboratories will be linked up centrally by a software.
Earlier, the Joint Director of Health Services, Dr Nilmadhab Das welcomed the guests and while explaining the objective of the meeting, gave detailed information about the CM�s free diagnostic services scheme. He also said that a total of 57 services will be provided free of cost at the centre and a MIS or the laboratory information system will generate all the test reports which will be available within 24 hours online. Das also added that the services will be extended to all the 28 districts of Assam where there are around 1200 Government health institutions including the district hospitals, PHCs and CHCs. He further added that the presence of modern free diagnostic centre at the civil hospital will discourage the poor from spending money on private laboratories for availing diagnostic services. Among others, the Editor of the local daily Ratnapith Barta and president, Goalpara Sahitya Sabha Dibakar Das also spoke on the occasion. The meeting was attended by a large number of members of the public besides medical staff members.