The New Town administrative authorities are gearing up to address a long-standing demand of residents to boost the public health infrastructure in the township.

Two projects have been taken up, one by Hidco and another by NKDA. The tender processes for both have been initiated and the Hidco project has reached the bid evaluation stage.

The chosen site for the latter is near the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Government College in Action Area 1.

“We are constructing a polyclinic with ambition of a big hospital in future. For now, it will have a diagnostic centre and an out-patient department with specialist doctors available for consultation,” said Hidco and NKDA chairman Debashis Sen.

The pile foundation is of a seven-storied building, of which only two floors will be built at present.

The current primary health centre housed in a floor of Utility Building in Action Area 1D.

Hidco has taken help from the medical engineering wing of the health department in drawing up the building plan. “We have no expertise in matters like designing a surgery room — what its required dimensions should be, whether the entry needs to have a double door to prevent infection... The building layout has been planned in such a way that later it can be expanded into a multi-speciality hospital,” Sen said.

Though Hidco is constructing the building, Sen emphasises that the health department has to run it. “We are not equipped to deal with nurses, doctors, surgical equipment or medicines beyond the level of the requirements of a primary health centre.”

Though health infrastructure in New Town, as anywhere else, has been in focus in the aftermath of the Covid-19 infection, Sen affirms that the two projects are not a reaction to the recently felt need. “It is the result of planning for three-four years.

We have been in dialogue with the health department. The requirement we have placed before them is at the minimum of the standard of Bidhannagar Sub-divisional hospital but preferably a full-fledged multi-speciality hospital like SSKM. Though nothing has come about yet, we thought of making a start, drawing up lateral and upward linkages which by themselves involve a difficult process.”

Though the Hidco has a long wishlist of specialisations from cardiology and endocrinology to ophthalmology and dentistry, Sen admits that it will all depend on who the health department can spare. “Shortage of doctors is a perennial problem. Even if a specialist can come once a week for outdoor consultations at the polyclinic, we will be happy.”

A patient being checked by the doctor at the health centre.

The other project is an urban primary health centre to come up near Akankha More in Action Area 2. It will be a three-storeyed building to be built by NKDA and will offer the facilities enlisted under the National Urban Health Mission.

“The thrust of these primary health centres is on public health and prevention. So it will spearhead detection and treatment of seasonal outbreaks like dengue and malaria and also mass vaccinations and sterilisations. Mother and child care will also be a component of its activities,” said Sen.

New Town already has a primary health centre functioning from a building that also houses a public health and engineering office located behind DPS New Town, on a lane near Tata Medical Center. A doctor, two nurses and a pharmacist are posted there.

“The new set-up will be in a dedicated building and with more facilities,” he added.