SILIGURI,: Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay’s dream healthcare project ‘Garib Jan Kalyan Prakosta’ has benefitted more than 1200 patients whose free surgeries for various ailments were done in Siliguri.
Patients travelling all away from Sikkim to Siliguri hospitals for the operation of stone in gallbladder and kidney now do not have to pay a single penny as the Prakosta bears the cost of surgery besides accommodation for attendant and also medicines.
From Monday onwards the service for kidney stone patients was also started with the patients brought to Siliguri in two special SNT buses. A total of 32 patients were in the buses – ten suffering from kidney stones and remaining 22 suffering from gallbladder stones.
Manoj Lama, chief coordinator of Prakosta, said, “The project led by the Chief Minister’s son Prabhakar Golay has left no stone unturned to serve the poor and needy people of Sikkim. It was started by the Chief Minister after a review meeting at Mintokgang with the Medical Assistance Scheme team of his office.”
During the meeting, the Chief Minister had emphasized the importance of intensifying efforts to support those in urgent need of medical care.
It was decided to conduct monthly medical camps for stone surgeries at CRH Manipal Tadong, Kins Hospital Siliguri, and Neotia Getwel Multispeciality Hospital Siliguri, with the goal of treating approximately 40 patients per month.
Additionally, plans were made to increase the number of medical caretakers in each constituency to improve public access to healthcare services.
Bal Bahadur Subba, a patient of kidney stone (renal calculus) from Geyzing, was also among the patients in the SNT bus. He thanked the government of Sikkim, especially the Chief Minister, for the facility with zero cost.
He said, “Chief Minister Golay is the first Chief Minister who started this health scheme where patients can get the health benefits including surgery free of cost. I would like to thank him from the bottom of my heart.”
Similarly another patient Renu Lepcha from West Sikkim was diagnosed with stones in her gallbladder. She thanked the Chief Minister and the entire Prakosta team for providing the free surgery facility.
Prakosta’s plan advisor Dipesh Bhandari, Prakosta’s CMO office coordinator Deepak Gautam and Sanam Giri were present in Siliguri to coordinate the patients and their attendants.