Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda conducted a significant review of two major healthcare institutions in West Bengal on Friday, focusing on advancing specialized medical infrastructure in the region. His visit encompassed the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) in New Town and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kalyani, where he inaugurated projects and assessed developmental progress.
Boosting Cancer Care and Education at CNCI
Nadda began his tour at the CNCI campus, a premier establishment for oncology in Eastern India. He lauded the institute's role in providing affordable and high-quality cancer care backed by world-class infrastructure. Following his inspection, the Minister took to Facebook to acknowledge CNCI's pioneering work in both patient treatment and research.
He urged the institute's administration to broaden its academic and service footprint. His key recommendations included increasing student intake for post-graduate courses and introducing new educational programs to train more specialists in the field of oncology.
Major Inaugurations and Review at AIIMS Kalyani
The Minister's next stop was AIIMS Kalyani, where he inaugurated the PM Divyang Kendra and oversaw the distribution of assistive devices to Divyang beneficiaries. This was part of a series of inaugurations for projects with a total value of Rs 40 crore.
During a detailed walkthrough, Nadda examined several advanced facilities, including:
- A state-of-the-art physical medicine and rehabilitation centre.
- Advanced radiotherapy equipment for cancer treatment.
- An innovative pneumatic chute system designed for the automated transfer of blood samples, enhancing efficiency.
- The expanded triage area within the trauma and emergency department, which now boasts 54 beds.
Focus on Infrastructure and Resolving Challenges
Nadda convened an administrative review meeting with senior officials and faculty members to evaluate AIIMS Kalyani's progress on multiple fronts. The discussion centered on infrastructure development, manpower recruitment, and patient service enhancements.
In a separate interaction, he met with medical students, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. He reviewed their clinical training protocols, academic facilities, and hospital workflows. The Minister attentively listened to concerns regarding staffing shortages, equipment needs, and high patient load, assuring the teams of the central government's continued support to address these issues.
Officials highlighted that the launch of specialized oncology and trauma services at AIIMS Kalyani is a game-changer. It is expected to drastically reduce the need for patients from districts like Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and Murshidabad to travel to Kolkata for advanced treatment, bringing critical care closer to their homes.
Later, in an interaction with doctors in Kolkata, Minister Nadda elaborated on the Union government's health policy. He described it as more inclusive and comprehensive, emphasizing efforts to make treatment affordable and to decentralize specialized care, including cancer treatment, by strengthening facilities across the country.
