SILCHAR, March 6 - In a bid to extend better medical facilities to the people in the rural and far-flung areas of the State, the 30-bed Mahatma Gandhi Model Hospital was inaugurated on Monday by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Pijush Hazarika at Kachudaram under Sonai constituency.
Addressing mediapersons after the inauguration, Hazarika said, �this hospital shall cater to the medical needs of patients in a remote area of the district. This hospital was a long-pending demand of the people of this region and the Government, therefore, is putting special emphasis in giving a major facelift to the health sector. �
The Minister also inaugurated a 24-hour blood bank at the SM Dev Civil Hospital.
While recalling that there were six medical colleges in the State, the Minister hinted that work for the much-awaited Karimganj Medical College is likely to start just after the Lok Sabha election.
The Model Hospital will have facilities for children�s treatment and shall also have 108 Ambulance services.
Meanwhile, authorities of the civil hospital informed that the blood bank will have a storage capacity of 240 units and people can avail services at a nominal rate of Rs 250.
However, people who fall under the BPL category and also patients suffering from thalassaemia, sickle cell anaemia, haemophilia and HIV-AIDS need not pay any amount for availing blood units from the bank, the authorities clarified.
Silchar MLA Dilip Kumar Paul, Sonai MLA Aminul Haque Laskar, Udharbond MLA Mihir Kanti Shom, Principal of Silchar Medical College Dr Babul Bezbaruah, Joint Director of Health Services, Cachar Dr SJ Das, Superintendent of the Civil Hospital Dr Ashutosh Barman, ADC Rajib Roy, chairman of Silchar Municipal Board NN Tagore and Cachar BJP president Kaushik Rai attended the respective official functions.
