Darbhanga, May 11: The government hospital at Benipur sub-division would soon cater to needs of patients across the district and even Madhubani. The construction work of the 100-bed government hospital is on the verge of completion. The hospital is being constructed by public works department (PWD), which would hand over the building to the Darbhanga civil surgeon.

Darbhanga civil surgeon Dr Lakhindra Prasad told The Telegraph: “I have asked the executive engineer of PWD as well as the district magistrate and collector R. Lakshmanan to hand over the building within a week so that work could be started soon. This hospital would be a sub-divisional-level hospital where all facilities, including surgery, would be available.” According to sources, specialist doctors particularly gynaecologists, dentists, orthopaedic surgeons apart from specialists in medicine, would be available. A blood collection centre would also be opened for the convenience of the patients. The hospital would have its own pathological centre. Accordingly, other departments, too, could be opened later.

A team of doctors comprising Dr Jitendra Narayan, Dr Kumari Bharti, Dr Amar Nath Jha and Dr Raman Paswan would be in-charge of the hospital. Of the four, Dr Jha and Dr Paswan have been appointed on deputation basis.

Later, more doctors would be appointed based on the needs of hospital. “The post of deputy civil surgeon at Benipur sub-divisional hospital was vacant and it is the duty of the government to fill the post, which was not falling under my jurisdiction. But the work at the hospital would start soon and it would not hamper the functioning of the hospital,” said Dr Paswan.

Even before the formal opening of Benipur sub-divisional hospital, more than 850 operations of family planning were carried out by Dr Jitendra who is in charge of the hospital since June 21, last year at the newly constructed hospital building.

More than 30 patients come to the outpatient department at the same building and Dr Jitendra and Dr Bharti attend to them prescribing appropriate medicines. Sometimes, they even provide medicines to the patients. Dr Jitendra said: “The government must ban medical practice at private clinics by government doctors if it really wants to improve the conditions in public hospitals.”

“Dr Jitendra had conducted many operations in remote areas even though there were no basic facilities when he was medical officer of the primary health centre and distributed medicines to poor people. Earlier, he had received threat calls and some goons had even abused him, which was later confirmed by Dr Jitendra,” said Bishnu Dev Paswan, Benipur Zila Parishad.