UK, NRI doctors to set up a 100-bed, multi-speciality hospital at the cost of Rs 6.5 crore near Kolkata

KOLKATA, Dec. 04, 2004
TNN

Call it reverse brain drain or a daring attempt to realise a crazy dream. A band of Indian doctors is about to chuck plum posts in prestigious institutions in the UK to serve in rural Bengal.

Specialists from Glasgow, Birmingham, Leicester, Strafford, Paisely and Wales have zeroed in on Phuleswar near Kolkata, to set up a 100-bed, multi-speciality hospital at the cost of Rs 6.5 crore. On Dec 30, the first major step will be taken to realise the dream when work begins on hospital building. Why Phuleswar?

In early 1990s, four of them spent many days at this industrial town before it went to seed following strident unionism.

"In 1993, when protests started at Kanoria Jute Mill in Phuleswar, we set up a community kitchen and operated a health centre," recalled Dr Subhasis Mitra. "Treatment, we believed, was a citizen's right." It is also well connected to South 24-Parganas, Midnapore and Hooghly.

The second Vivekananda Setu will bring North 24-Parganas close, too. Mitra, a specialist in surgical oncology and laparoscopic surgery, currently practices in Glasglow.

They were a handful in the beginning but others joined the cause. Fifteen NRI doctors joined hands as did four others from India.

It's a partnership between professionals and people (community) as opposed to public-private partnership concept," said Soumitra Bakshi, general and chest medicine specialist from Birmingham.

The doctors have vowed to make healthcare affordable through innovative and creative use of indigenous technology. Treatment cost, they assure, will be just.

Though they have been chalking out the blueprint of a multi-speciality hospital in West Bengal for years now, it was only towards the end of 2002 that the plan began to take shape. A few flew down to meet chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in February 2003.

"We've bought 12 bighas and prepared the site plan. It will be a T-shaped building with environment-friendly ambience. Efforts are on to use renewable energy," said Paisely-based trauma specialist and orthopaedic surgeon Kaushik Sarkar.

Construction will end in 24 months. The doctors though, will start relocating six-eight months early. "We have to train people," said general medicine specialist and diabetologist Arjun Mukherjee who practices in Birmingham.

The doctors also plan to set up clinics in Kolkata to ensure postoperative care.