Tripura aims self-reliance in medical services, committed to healthcare development

The Tripura government is dedicated to developing a robust healthcare infrastructure, with a focus on making the state self-reliant in medical services, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on November 9. 

Efforts are underway to establish high-quality hospitals and enhance healthcare facilities, prioritising the improvement of healthcare delivery across the state.

Speaking during the 18th annual state conference of the Association of Surgeons of India (Tripura Chapter), Saha emphasised the importance of healthcare, noting that it is a primary asset of the state. 

He highlighted that the state government, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, is working on strengthening Tripura's healthcare sector, including increasing medical staff such as specialists and super-specialists which was once unimaginable in the state. 

Saha noted the recent advancements, stating that healthcare modernisation over the past six years has brought the state to par with others, with surgeons now able to perform various advanced procedures locally, reducing the need for patients to seek treatment outside the state. 

Saha shared that eight organisations have expressed interest in setting up high- standard hospitals in Agartala, with land allocation in prime city areas offered by the government. However, these hospitals must recruit their own doctors, as government doctors are not permitted to serve in these private institutions.

Saha mentioned the government's broader vision, which includes establishing a medical hub in Tripura that encompasses allopathic, homoeopathic, and ayurvedic healthcare. 

Additionally, medical education in the state will also be expanded, with three medical colleges offering nearly 400 MBBS seats. Tripura now also has a government dental college with 63 seats and a dialysis unit and female medicine ward were recently inaugurated. 

He added that faculty quality in the state's medical colleges is high, with students achieving excellent results. Remarkably, kidney transplants are now possible in the state, with plans to introduce liver transplants in the future. 

The Seha Hospital in Manipur had proposed establishing a hospital and medical college in Tripura, with an investment of around Rs. 700 crore pending cabinet approval. 

Further expansions include trauma care centres in Shantirbazar, Udaipur, and Ambassa, as well as plans to open similar centres in North Tripura. Additionally, a cardiac care centre was inaugurated in Ambassa, and de-addiction centres are being set up in all districts, each with a budget allocation of Rs. 20 crore. 

The AGMC offers 85 seats for PG courses across 20 departments, and the number of beds in Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital has also increased from 727 to 1,413.

The Chief Minister assured that more advancements in healthcare will be made, including Rs 515 crore allocated from the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region, designated for various health departments and projects in Tripura.