Pay for high-quality treatment in state hospitals instead of free facility, Mamata Banerjee’s announcement for MPs, MLAs, VIPs in Bengal

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said the government would withdraw free treatment in state-run hospital cabins for VIPs in the state and introduce the concept of payment for those who could afford it.

MLAs, MPs and other VIPs get free treatment in state hospitals though they are able to afford this treatment. Once this free treatment is withdrawn and the VIPs pay for their treatment, the government can use part of this fund (75 per cent) for the infrastructure of the hospital concerned and the remaining (25 per cent) for incentives for doctors.

Banerjee today said this at a programme to inaugurate a level-one trauma care centre at Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital. The trauma-care centre, created with Rs 100.62 crore, has 244 beds along with intensive care units and operation theatres. She said this was one of the best of its kind in the country with all the modern equipment and facilities for treatment of patients in critical condition.

Inaugurating this on Monday – Doctors’ Day – Banerjee appealed to doctors from outside West Bengal to come and join various hospitals in the state as there was need for more doctors here. There are nearly 4,000 doctors required in the state.

In addition, the CM also announced that an app would be launched to take the injured from the accident spot to hospitals. Use of the specialised app on mobile phones will enable the police to quickly reach the spot and take the accident victims to the nearest hospital without wasting time. A specialised plan and training programme is in place to implement it, she explained.