West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended a special meeting at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium today, where she interacted with senior and junior doctors, as well as medical students from across the state. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for their dedicated service in the healthcare sector.
Expressing condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased R.G. Kar doctor’s daughter, Mamata Banerjee reaffirmed her commitment to justice. She emphasized that the state government has passed the ‘Aparajita’ Bill, which will ensure exemplary punishment for offenders in the future.
Major Healthcare Achievements & Announcements
Highlighting the state’s achievements in healthcare, the Chief Minister shared key milestones:
Telemedicine Service (‘Swasthya Ingith’): Provides medical guidance to 75,000 people daily and has served over 4.82 crore patients so far.
Swasthya Sathi Scheme: Has benefitted 9 crore people by ensuring affordable healthcare across West Bengal.
Medical Infrastructure Development:
38 medical colleges and 42 super-specialty hospitals established.
13,500 health & wellness centers set up, with plans for 12,000 more in the future.
71 SNCUs, 286 SNSUs, 76 CCUs, 3 HDUs, 14 Mother & Child Hubs, 13 Mother & Child Waiting Hubs built to improve maternal and infant care.
Cord Blood Bank & Human Milk Bank established to enhance specialized healthcare services.
Salary Hikes & Policy Changes for Doctors
To further support healthcare professionals, she announced significant salary hikes:
Senior Resident (Diploma Holders): Increased to ₹80,000
Postgraduate Senior Residents: Increased to ₹85,000
Post-Doctorate Senior Residents: Increased to ₹1,00,000
Interns, House Staff, PG & Post-Doctorate Trainees: Received a ₹10,000 salary increase
Senior Doctors’ Private Practice Radius: Extended from 20 km to 30 km
Additionally, she revoked the suspension of some students from Midnapore Medical College, allowing them a chance to learn from their past mistakes and contribute effectively to healthcare services in the future.
Mamata Banerjee concluded by stating that healthcare is a service, not just a profession, and reiterated her vision of a stronger healthcare system, where doctors play a key role in building a healthier and more compassionate society.