All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal who is also the parliamentarian from Dhubri on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the construction of an RCC two-storeyed building with land development at an estimated cost of Rs one crore from the MPLAD Fund 2016-17 (phase II) at Dhubri based premises of lone Chest Hospital of lower Assam.
Speaking on this occasion, Ajmal said that development of the health and education sectors are among the top two priorities in his lists and the scarcity of funds for these two sectors have never became a hurdle from his side. He also said if required he will donate from his own charity fund.
“According to my belief, without the revolutionary change in these two sectors, namely education and health which are the primary needs for the development of any society, all other developments are meaningless,”Ajmal added.
Strangely, at a time when the State Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma is making tall claims about the revolutionary change in health sector, on the contrary, the lone Tuberculosis (TB) hospital of lower Assam located in Dhubri town exhibits a totally different picture.
The hospital is a glaring example of the hollow claim of the State Health Minister as despite repeated requests and assurances of improving the health facilities in the chest hospital, the TB hospital is in a dilapidated state in terms of infrastructure or medical facilities.
Dr J B Roy, Deputy Superintendent cum member secretary, Hospital Management Society of the Chest Hospital, Dhubri described in details about the crumbling facilities of the lone TB hospital of lower Assam which was established in 1954.
The hospital portrays a dismal environment not only to its patients coming from the various districts namely Dhubri, Goalpara, Bongaigoan and Kokrajhar including those came from East Garo Hills in Meghalaya, but also create a lot of difficulties to the hospital staff and doctors.
There are two departments namely Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and Chest Hospital which has a capacity of 54 bedded respectively.
Hospital authorities said that there is no alternative power supply as the hospital is running without any generator facilities.
Even the staff’s quarters in the hospital have no basic facilities for someone to stay.
And during rainy session, the entire hospital campus turns into a pond due to water logging.
The foundation stone laying ceremony was also attended by Dhubri MLA and chairman of the Hospital Management Society Nazrul Houqe, Dhubri Zila Parishad CEO, AIUDF MLA from Bilasipara West, and Dhubri district BJP president among others.