Agartala, March 5 Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Thursday that the state government has signed an agreement with the Guwahati Neurological Research Centre to set up a super-specialty hospital at Hapania in West Tripura district.
Earlier, the government had signed a pact with Srija Hospitals and Research Institute, a medical institution based in Imphal, to set up a super-specialty hospital and medical college at RK Nagar in the same district.
"We have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GNRC, a medical institution based in Guwahati, to set up a super-specialty hospital on the vacant land of Tripura Jute Mills Ltd. A team from our department has already visited Guwahati to assess the infrastructure and facilities available at GNRC," he told reporters.
However, the chief minister, who also holds the health portfolio, declined to elaborate further on the MoU with GNRC.
Saha also said that initiatives were taken to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and manpower at the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital and Agartala Government Medical College.
"We have already signed a MoU with AIIMS, New Delhi, to streamline healthcare services at GBP hospital. According to their recommendation, we have decided to increase the number of ICU beds from 156 to 326. In addition, GBP hospital is directly connected with AIIMS, New Delhi, through telemedicine to provide better medical facilities to patients in the state," he said.
Saha said that a 16-bed dedicated ICU for patients with severe respiratory problems and a well-equipped ICU in the trauma centre were made operational at the GBP hospital on Thursday.
"The state Cabinet has already discussed setting up a medical university to regulate medical colleges and other medical institutions in the state," he said, adding that the government wants to reduce referral cases by utilizing and revamping existing medical facilities in the state.
Currently, the northeastern state has three medical colleges which offer as many as 450 MBBS seats and 119 postgraduate courses.
