Siliguri District Hospital, the second-largest state-run healthcare establishment in Darjeeling district after the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital, has introduced a portable ultrasonography (USG) machine to strengthen emergency care.
The hospital has also recently added a portable X-ray machine, making diagnostic services quicker and more accessible.
The new equipment will help deliver faster diagnoses and treatments while strengthening emergency, maternal, and critical care services at the district hospital, a source said.
The portable USG machine, which became operational on Wednesday, will be kept outside the labour room.
“Doctors will now be able to conduct ultrasound examinations without shifting pregnant women to another department during emergencies. This will help them assess the condition of the mother and child without delay,” said a source.
Chandan Ghosh, the hospital superintendent, said that the facility would help doctors take quicker treatment decisions in critical situations.
“The portable ultrasonography machine will be kept near the labour room so that doctors can perform an ultrasound immediately in complicated deliveries without moving the patient. It will save valuable time and help us take prompt treatment decisions. This can play a vital role in saving both the mother and the newborn,” he said.
Doctors at the hospital said that the absence of a portable USG machine often delayed the assessment of women who developed complications during labour.
“We had to move patients for an ultrasound, which consumed precious time in emergencies. The new machine will allow immediate examination and faster intervention whenever required,” they said.
The hospital also added a portable X-ray machine some months ago.
“Medical teams now use the equipment in different wards, enabling bedridden patients to undergo X-ray examinations without leaving their beds. The facility has made diagnostic services easier for critically ill patients and reduced the need to shift them within the hospital,” sources said.