Reporters Desk
Bokaro: The construction of Medicant Super Specialty Hospital and Research Centre begins with bhoomi-pujan on the auspicious day of Vijaydashmi near BIADA Housing Colony of Bokaro on Sunday. It was four years ago the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Delhi-based surgeon, Dr Majid Talikoti who is president Bokaro Sewa Trust and Jharkhand government.
Clearances obtained from statutory authorities to establish the mega hospital causes delay in coming up of the project. The hospital is coming up in three acres of land allotted by Jharkhand Industrial Area Development Authourity (JIADA) near BIADA Housing Colony on National Highway-23 here. As per the MOU, the 500-bedded Medicant Super Specialty hospital is coming up with an investment of Rs 100 crore.
It will be one of the biggest super specialty hospitals of this coal-belt region. Though there is 910-bedded Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) of Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) operational in the town, but residents are not satisfied with its deteriorating healthcare service and quality of treatment. In absence of good medical center, the residents move outside to metropolitan or big cities for the treatment.
The MOU for the Medicant hospital project of Bokaro Sewa Trust was signed in Mumbai during road show in 2016. The road show was organized by former chief minister, Raghubar Das with an aim to invite investors to Jharkhand. Then Dr Majid A Talikoti signed the MOU with former additional chief secretary, department of health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, K Vidyasagar in presence of Raghubar Das, former chief secretary and other senior administrative officials.
However the today’s bhoomi-pujan saw presence of director incharge of BSL, Amarendu Prakash, Bokaro, MLA, Biranchi Narayan and other distinguished guests at the project campus. According to Talikoti, who was present at the occasion, “Medicant will be a state-of-art hospital with 500 beds. The first phase of the hospital with 150 beds will be completed by 2023. Basement and first floor of the hospital will be completed by next year and we will make it operational”.
Talikoti added, “providing quality care in affordable cost to the people is our vision. We are coming with best consultation, hi-tech diagnostic equipment’s and unparalleled nursing,” added Dr Talikoti. Medicant Super Specialty Hospital will have Oncology, Cardiology, Nephrology, Gastrology, Advance Burn, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and facilitate organ transplant. Besides Trauma centre will be the most modern will all life-saving equipments.
This hospital project will generate direct and indirect employment for about 1000 peoples. The land is already assessed and approved by Jharkhand government. MLA, Bokaro, Biranchi Narayan, who played a vital role in inviting Dr Talikoti for setting up hospital, said opening of hospital will be in larger benefit of the people of the area. It will reduce dependency of residents on hospitals in big cities like Ranchi, Kolkata, Vellore, Delhi, Chennai and others to get their medical problems cured.
Narayan also assured that the medical treatment in this hospital will be affordable to everyone even to poor. The people belonging to deprived section will never be denied treatment. Opening of hospital was my dream”. However presence of director incharge of BSL, Amarendu Prakash at the occasion surprised many people present there. This was the first time when Prakash was seen in any non-BSL function.
When mediapersons asked Prakash about his opinion with the coming of new super-specialty hospital at a time when BGH already exists in the city, he said “healthcare is primary requirement of every resident in our country. In every town of our country, enhancement of medical centers and health facilities will be in the benefit of the residents. I also want that the residents of Bokaro would get better medical facilities”.
Replying to another question, that whether BSL will increase health facilities in BGH as coming of new Medicant Hospital will make environment competitive, Prakash said “we have never taken healthcare as a business. Healthcare is a service for people. BGH is serving residents. Coming of more and more medical institutions will be in benefit of residents”.
It is mentioned here, that BGH, known to be the biggest hospital of the region run by Steel Authourity of India Limited (SAIL), is facing dearth of doctors, surgeons and super specialists. Despite of vacancies announced and interview conducted in September, not a single candidate appeared for the post super specialist offered by BGH.
The BGH intends to engage doctors on 21 various posts on contractual basis and offered handsome pay package, accommodation and other benefits. These posts includes six super specialist doctors each in Urology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Cardiology and Endocrinology, one specialist, one Orthopaedics, one radiology, two medicine, two surgery and 10 general medical officers. Lastly 14 doctors mostly general medical officers were served appointment letters.
Getting super specialists and good doctors will also be a challenge to the proposed Medicant Hospital.
