The state government has sanctioned funds to set up two health centres in the two tea estates of the Dooars belt, one each in the Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.

The move aims to provide enhanced healthcare services to tea workers and
their families.

“For the first time, the state will set up two such health centres with modern facilities for the tea population. The decision was made to help tea workers and their families in the Dooars tea belt, especially in tea estates with inadequate health infrastructure,” said Mahua Gope, a member of the state tea advisory council.

Sources in the state health department said that one of the centres will come up on vacant land in the New Glanco tea estate of Malbazar block of Jalpaiguri and the second at the Turturi tea estate in Alipurduar district.

“For each of these centres, the state has sanctioned a sum of around ₹40 lakh. This will help us to provide better healthcare facilities to tea workers,” said Ashim Haldar, the chief medical officer of health of Jalpaiguri.

Earlier, there used to be hospitals, with doctors, paramedics and other staff, in most tea gardens.

However, over the years, the healthcare facilities in many gardens diminished. At some tea estates, only first-aid and basic treatments are available.

“Such a situation has put tea workers and their families in a fix. Hence, they are largely dependent on government health infrastructure. That is why during the past couple of years, demands were raised by tea workers and trade union leaders that the state set up health centres in centralised locations so that people living in the tea estates and in the surrounding areas can get easy access to medical treatment,” said an official of the department.

The demand has made the state act, giving financial approval for these two centres. “We hope the state will come up with more such health centres in the future for the tea population,” said Gope.