West Bengal Chief Minister, Suvendu Adhikari, revealed plans for “live monitoring” of district hospitals in the state to address healthcare issues. The initiative aims to tackle issues such as doctor absenteeism, unnecessary patient referrals to Kolkata hospitals, and the presence of agents’ networks. Adhikari emphasized the importance of a 24-hour control room to oversee hospital operations and ensure the eradication of brokers from the system.
Patients or their families will have the option to register complaints by contacting a dedicated control room. This monitoring system will primarily focus on district hospitals, medical colleges, and hospitals across West Bengal. The monitoring activities will be coordinated from Swastha Bhavan, the state health department’s headquarters in Salt Lake, Kolkata.
In addition to the monitoring initiative, Adhikari announced plans to enroll approximately six crore residents of West Bengal in the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, replacing the existing Swastha Sathi health insurance program. Efforts are also underway to identify suitable land for establishing a new unit of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in North Bengal. Furthermore, private hospitals that acquired land for a nominal fee from the previous government will now be required to offer free-bed facilities for economically disadvantaged patients.
