Title - 75-bed indoor department opened at railway hospital

PATNA: Railway Board's director (health) V K Ramtek on Friday inaugurated 75-bed indoor patient services at the newly-built super speciality hospital of East Central Railway (ECR) located at the Karbigahiya end of Patna Junction.This project has been completed at an estimated cost of Rs 38 crore. Railways intends to provide 150-bed indoor patient services at this hospital in future.Speaking on the occasion, Ramtek said this hospital was on a par with other super speciality hospitals in the country. It would prove to be a boon for railway employees working under ECR. This hospital would be known as a nephrology speciality centre and railways intends to provide dialysis facility for the benefit of renal patients, he said.ECR GM Varun Bharthuar said this hospital would go a long way in fulfilling the dreams of railway employees to avail better and specialized medical facilities. The hospital has rare equipment like digital x-ray machine besides computerized monitoring and functioning of the hospital, he said, adding efforts would be made to provide better indoor facilities at this centre.According to sources, this super speciality hospital, which is the first of its kind in the eastern region, is likely to cater to the needs of about 90,000 railway employees and their family members in the five divisions of ECR. As per the plan, the super speciality hospital will have a four-storey building, of which the 3rd and 4th floors will be meant for super speciality while the ground, 1st and 2nd floors will have facility of central hospital cum diagnostic centre.There will be specialized treatment of diseases related to women at this hospital. The hospital is already providing outdoor medical facilities to patients. It is fully air-conditioned and the casualty wing would function on a priority basis, sources said, adding the hospital planned to provide free vaccination to children as well.

According to sources, it is the fourth super speciality hospital of Indian Railways in the country. Apart from diagnosis, it will now provide specialized treatment in ENT and dental diseases, sources said.

Former railway minister Lalu Prasad had laid the foundation stone of this super speciality hospital on a four-acre plot on July 30, 2005.