Calcutta, Feb. 19 :    Calcutta, Feb. 19:  The stage is set for the inauguration of the first phase of a new 200-bed hospital in Barasat, North 24-Parganas, which is expected to provide holistic care to a large population in the hinterland of the district headquarters. To be managed by the West Bank Hospital team, a group of NRI doctors who have set up the now well-known 150-bed centre on Andul Road in Howrah, the new hospital has been built on 1.5 acres provided by Kalpataru Sangha, a semi-religious organisation founded by philosopher Sri Beni Madhab. Located near Champadally More in the Ramkrishna Pally area, the hospital is about 15 minutes from Madhyamgram on Taki Road. The Sangha had started constructing the building in 1993 and had intended it to be a hospital right form the beginning. But though the Sangha followers are made up of architects, lawyers and engineers, they did not have doctors among them. In early 2000, they got in touch with the West Bank Hospital team, led by its director, Dr Satadal Saha, after one of their members was treated there. 'Our philosophy of providing non-commercial healthcare matched with theirs and we agreed to help them out,' Saha said recently. 'We agreed to take the project forward and run it professionally,' more so because there were no political links and the Sangha stood 'purely for the benefit of the people'. The whole of last year was taken up in formulating the modalities of the hospital, including the phases in which the project would be implemented. 'An MoU was worked out whereby we would be responsible for setting up and managing the centre,' Saha said. 'The intention is to provide competent healthcare at affordable prices.' West Bank will continue to be a tertiary centre of excellence, where super-speciality treatment like cardiology, neurosurgery and transplants will be available. 'Also, with the changing health insurance scenario, the insurance companies will seek centres where uniformity and quality will be available. We aim to achieve this at the Barasat hospital.' To be officially called Arogya Niketan O Gabeshana Pratisthan, the hospital initialy will have an operation theatre, outdoor departments, diagnostics and basic eye surgery facilities. The indoor department will start by June-July with 40 beds. In 12 to 18 months, another 75 beds will be added, and by the 24th month, 85 more beds will be made available. 'There are many good doctors and nursing homes in Barasat but what is lacking is the ambience for collective work that would be able to deliver complete health care,' Saha pointed out. The new hospital will have 10 doctors from West Bank, while 30 more will be taken in from the region. 'Most of them will provide services wholetime.' The hospital will be a boon for people in the area. 'They won't have to travel to Calcutta for procedures like a hernia operation. A complete infrastructure will now be available at their doorsteps, where continuity of care will be a main advantage.' And the rates would be 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than at West Bank.