Closure of Vital Services at Unakoti Hospital sparks public outrage

Agartala, Nov 17, 2024, By Our Correspondent

Residents of Unakoti district are expressing growing frustration over the closure of key services at the Unakoti District Hospital, including the CT scan facility and the oxygen plant. These shutdowns have severely disrupted healthcare delivery, leaving patients and their families in distress.

The hospital's CT scan service has been non-operational for an extended period, depriving residents of critical diagnostic support. Additionally, the oxygen plant, constructed at significant expense in 2022, has remained non-functional for nearly a year, despite its essential role in providing life-saving oxygen to patients. Reports suggest the plant became unusable at the beginning of 2023.

The crisis extends beyond the district hospital, as all sub-divisional hospitals in Unakoti district face similar issues with their oxygen plants, raising serious concerns about the efficiency of healthcare investments.

Dr. Rohan Pal, the newly appointed Medical Superintendent of Unakoti District Hospital, acknowledged the problem, attributing the delay to an expired maintenance agreement with the responsible company. He confirmed that a new agreement is awaiting approval from higher authorities and emphasized that he has informed the department’s director to expedite the plant’s restoration.

However, community members dispute the timeline provided by Dr. Pal, asserting that the oxygen plant has been non-functional for over a year. The prolonged inaccessibility of the CT scan service has further fueled public anger, with many questioning the accountability of health officials.

The residents have called for urgent action to resolve these issues and restore essential healthcare services, emphasizing the need for better oversight and timely maintenance of critical infrastructure.