Rush in Siliguri for super-special health care


Uttorayon township where the 250-bed hospital of Neotia Healthcare will come up
Siliguri,

May 4: Siliguri is fast inching towards becoming a major health hub in the state after Calcutta with private players keen on providing advanced health care services.

In the past one year, several entrepreneurs have forayed into hospital business in Siliguri. Cardiologist Devi Shetty of Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore had laid the foundation stone of a 1,000-bed hospital on February 14, 2009 at Himanchal Bihar in Matigara with a focus on sophisticated treatment for heart patients.

The same month, the Advanced Medicare Research Institute (AMRI) acquired 1.7 acres of land for a multi-speciality hospital specialising in renal ailments at Kawakhali Township. On April 10 this year, state health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra laid the foundation stone of a 250-bed hospital of the Neotia Healthcare Initiative Limited on a plot of 3.19 acres at Uttorayon.

The strategic location of Siliguri with three countries in the vicinity makes the town a preferred destination for medical entrepreneurs.

“Siliguri is the gateway to the Northeast and is in the proximity of Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Besides the patients from the hills and Sikkim, people from Malda, Bihar, the north-eastern states and the neighbouring countries come here for treatment. In fact, people come from all parts of Nepal barring Kathmandu (where there are hospitals) and its adjoining areas,” said Piyush Kanti Roy, the president of the Siliguri branch of the Indian Medical Association.

Around 60 to 70 per cent people from the Northeast head towards southern India for specialised health care. “They (the people from north-eastern region) first come to Siliguri and then head for south for advanced treatment. The entrepreneurs have realised the importance of the place and are out to tap its full potential,” Roy said.

At present, over 30 nursing homes in Siliguri along with the North Bengal Medial College and Hospital and the Siliguri District Hospital cater for the health care requirements of the people. According to sources, Siliguri registers a monthly footfall of nearly 5 lakh patients, 10 to 15 per cent of whom come from the neighbouring countries.

“Siliguri is probably the only town in the state after Calcutta to have an airport that recently started flights to Bhutan and Thailand. Once we get hospitals of super-speciality standard, the footfall is bound to go up considerably,” said Kaushik Bhattacharya, a laparoscopic surgeon at a nursing home here.

The emerging infrastructure and connectivity are the reasons behind the entrepreneurs’ forays into health care.

“Siliguri is already a thriving commercial hub. It has a number of township projects in the offing in addition to a food park and tea park. The infrastructure is favourable for us to set up a multi-speciality hospital here. Moreover, if we offer specialised health care to the people, they wouldn’t have to spend money on travelling to far-away places for treatment,” said Dhrubjyoti Gupta, the assistant manager (growth and development) of the AMRI.

source; the telegraph