The indoor service of Central Super Specialty Hospital at Karbigahiya end of Patna Junction became functional on Friday.

Director-general, railway health service, V.K. Ramteke and East Central Railway (ECR) general manager Varun Bharthuar formally inaugurated the service.

The hospital, which has been constructed in seven years at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore, will cater to the medical needs of railway employees and their family members. The ground floor of the hospital, meant for outpatient department (OPD), was opened in 2010.

While inaugurating the indoor service, Ramteke said: “This hospital will provide world-class facility to the patients. I am happy to see the construction work and the design of the hospital complete.”

The senior officer said the hospital design was patient-friendly. “Nobody wants to visit a hospital. If the building looks friendly to a patient, it lessens down the pain to some extent. Better surroundings give positive energy and helps one recover faster.”

The hospital facilities include surgery, medicine, ICU and endoscopy. “World-class equipment have been installed in the hospital, including a digital X-ray machine, which will provide better healthcare to the employees,” Ramteke said.

There are about 90,000 railway employees in the ECR zone, which includes divisions like Danapur, Mughalsarai, Samastipur and Sonepur.

The four-storey, 73-bed hospital has been built on a four-acre plot. It will provide specialised treatment to railway employees and their family members free of cost.

Asked about facilities for general people, Ramteke said: “If there is a possibility, the hospital would surely provide treatment to general people but the first priority would be railway employees and their family members.”

He added: “In coming days, more facilities, like dialysis machine, would be introduced in the hospital.”