Sikkim Govt Launches Free Hospital!

Healthcare and Medical facilities are the primary concerns for people in the country. However, despite the urgency and necessity for immediate medical facilities it isn’t that much easily available for the common man, specially in the rural areas and distant towns. The sole reason behind this is affordability of healthcare. To remedy this the Sikkim government has come up with the idea of establishing a free of cost hospital in the state, says a report published in Better India.

What is it?

The Sikkim Government has built a new Govt Hospital, to treat all the residents for free. The main block of the hospital is built with earthquake-resistant material, so that it can withstand tremors measuring up to 8 on the Richter scale.

Why a New Hospital is needed?

From February 1, the people of Sikkim is getting access to the free state-sponsored healthcare. It will be the second largest government hospital in India, according to publications in the Northeast.

Where is the hospital?

The new 10-storied ‘Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial Multi-Speciality Hospital’ (STNM) is in Sochaygang, three kilometres away from Gangktok.

STNM is the second largest government hospital in India

Where will the original hospital go?

The 1002-bed hospital comes second behind the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The original 100-year-old STNM Hospital, once situated in the centre of Gangtok, will now shift its premises to the new hospital.

Features of the New Hospital

1) The construction of the hospital, spread across 15 acres of land took nine years and a mammoth  Rs 1,281 Crore.

2) The main block of the hospital has been constructed with earthquake-resistant material and the hospital can withstand an earthquake measuring up to 8 on the Richter scale.

3) The hospital is expected to be on par with global standards.

4) Besides a separate general, surgical and speciality departments, the hospital has 23 operation theatres that can all function together at the same time and is equipped with highly sophisticated equipment, including MRI, CT scanners, orthopantomogram machine and Doppler fetal monitor.

5) Since the hospital is situated three kilometres away from Gangtok, the state government has commissioned buses that will ply to transport patients and hospital attendants back and to the hospital for free round the clock.

6) Those accompanying the patients can stay over at a 119-bed Yatri Niwas lodging facility set up on the hospital premises which will also offer meals.

What’s in it for the students?

“We are trying to start classes of the medical college at the old STNM Hospital from June with the government approval. The college will take in 100 students every year,” said Vishal Chauhan, the commissioner-cum-secretary of the state health department.

How will it help?

Besides residents of Sikkim, the hospital has the potential to take in patients from the Northeast and the Darjeeling district of West Bengal.

Source:  TheBetterIndia