Pranajit recalls bid to shut Tripura Sundari SDH, now set for Rs 43 crore makeover

Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy on Tuesday recalled the previous government's attempt to shut down the Tripura Sundari Subdivisional Hospital and recounted how he had repeatedly appealed to then Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to keep the health facility operational in the interest of thousands of people who depended on it.

Speaking at the inauguration and foundation stone-laying ceremony of several development projects, the Finance Minister said, "Today I am recalling the past because we should never forget it. In 2012-13, the previous government decided to close the subdivisional hospital after the District Hospital was inaugurated. During a government programme, I requested the then Chief Minister from the podium not to do so. In his speech, he responded in a cryptic manner, saying that it was not an appropriate platform to make such a request."

Expressing satisfaction over the state government's decision to upgrade the hospital with additional infrastructure, the Minister said, "Today, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for the new infrastructure at the hospital. A sum of Rs 43 crore has been sanctioned. A rough estimate suggests that around Rs 70 crore will be required to give the hospital a fully equipped and modern look. This project has become possible because of the state government's initiative to overhaul the healthcare delivery system." He credited the Chief Minister for bringing about a comprehensive transformation of the state's healthcare system.

Referring to the Gomati District Hospital, Singha Roy said, "The previous government also constructed buildings in the name of infrastructure but failed to pay adequate attention to quality. Structural flaws in the building began affecting healthcare services. The defects are so severe that repairs cannot be undertaken without dismantling the structure. I am glad to inform you that the Chief Minister has sanctioned more than Rs 100 crore for the expansion of the Gomati District Hospital. The tenders have already been floated."

The Finance Minister also said the state's budgetary allocation for infrastructure development had increased from around Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 8,000 crore over the past eight years.

"When the previous government was in power, the total budget for infrastructure development stood at around Rs 3,000 crore. Today, it has reached the Rs 8,000 crore mark, which is a significant achievement for a small state like Tripura," the minister added.