A full-fledged urology department opened at the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital (NBMCH) here on Monday at the super-specialty block of the institution.
A 30-bed ward with 20 beds allotted for male patients and 10 for female patients started functioning soon after the launch, a source in the hospital said.
Last Wednesday, Sanjoy Mallick, the medical superintendent-cum-vice- principal had asserted that the unit would open on Monday.
According to him, the launch of the urology department marks an important milestone in the journey of the expansion of medical infrastructure at the NBMCH.
Located in Susrutanagar on the outskirts of Siliguri, the NBMCH is the oldest and the largest state-run referral hospital in north Bengal, spread over an area of 161 acres.
“We are yet to come up with the operating theatre at the super-specialty block, and thus, surgeries of patients will be carried out in the old building. The new unit has adequate beds with separate sections for male and female patients,” he said on Monday.
The super-speciality block, inaugurated some years ago, has gradually rolled out more services for patients across north Bengal and even neighbouring states like Bihar, Assam and Sikkim.
“Some outpatient departments have been functioning for over two years, and the cardiology wing already runs a 20-bed coronary care unit (CCU)," Mallick said.
"The launch of a full-fledged inpatient urology unit will now help us in providing improved tertiary medical care to more patients,” Mallick added.
Sanitation drive
Along with this expansion, the NBMCH is also set to undergo a long-overdue clean-up of its extensive campus.
Sources said that the state health department has sanctioned a sum of ₹17.86 lakh to address the persistent sanitation issues at the NBMCH and to ensure proper disposal of the medical college and hospital's daily general and biomedical waste.
“This move comes after concern from staff and patients for some months about garbage accumulation and overgrown weeds across the hospital campus,” said a source.
“The funds have already been transferred, and a comprehensive cleaning drive will commence shortly. Areas such as lecture theatres, hospital corridors, residential quarters, and hostel compounds will be targeted in the clean-up,” the source added.