The Jalpaiguri Government Medical College and Hospital (JGMCH) has started building a dedicated critical care unit (CCU) to address the shortage of beds.

The new block, which is being built with an investment of ₹70.69 crores, is coming up opposite the Jalpaiguri Super-Specialty Hospital. The new unit with 100 beds is expected to be ready within 18 months.

Kalyan Khan, the medical superintendent-cum-vice-principal of JGMCH, said the increasing number of critically ill patients in Jalpaiguri district had overstretched the existing infrastructure of the medical college.

“Earlier, the district hospital had established a CCU with 10 beds. Although the number was later increased to 20, it remained inadequate. With the launch of the super-specialty hospital, an additional CCU was set up, bringing the total number of beds to 30,” he said.

“Once the new building comes up, we will have 130 beds at the CCU. We plan to make a separate critical care block for those diseases that need isolation with a CCU. We will have 10 beds for those patients in this separate block,” he added.

The demand for critical care continued to rise.

“District health officials have expressed concern over the current situation where families of critically ill patients often have to face long waiting periods for a CCU bed. In many cases, because of the lack of beds, patients requiring intensive care have to be treated in general wards,” said a source in the Jalpaiguri district health department.

The new block will offer comprehensive medical care and will be equipped with modern medical technology.

From ventilators and advanced monitoring systems to specialised ICU facilities, the block will be designed to ensure critical patients receive timely and appropriate care.

The expansion will reduce the patient load on the existing CCUs in both the district hospital and the super-specialty hospital. “With the new block, we will also be prepared for any kind of situation that we had to face during Covid-19. We now have the liquid medical oxygen (LMO) plant, which we will upgrade for another 100 CCU beds that will come up in the block,” added Khan.