2019: District sees improvement in health facilities

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 29

After struggling for years, the Patiala district witnessed a major improvement in the health sector in 2019. The biggest government medical facility in the state, Rajindra Government Hospital, Patiala, has got an infrastructural boost with new laboratory and super-speciality ward.

In big relief to poor patients, Government Rajindra Hospital started operating 24×7 laboratory in March. Now, patients visiting the hospital do not have to run to private laboratories for blood tests. The BCL laboratory functions round the clock.

From new parking lots to renovation of various departments, Rajindra Government Hospital got an infrastructural boost. Hit by space crunch, the hospital would now have a multi-level car parking facility. After a delay of more than a year, a Rs 150-crore super-speciality block was inaugurated by MP Preneet Kaur at Government Rajindra Hospital in November this year.

Despite being the biggest government hospital in the state, basic medicine such as paracetamol was not available at Government Rajindra Hospital. The hospital has been the worst performer in implementing the Ayushman Bharat Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana.

Doctors at Government Rajindra Hospital hadprotested against an attack on one of their colleagues allegedly by a patient.

Decline in dengue cases

The Health Department with an aggressive awareness campaign along with the district administration has been able to control dengue outbreak successfully.

The district witnessed a 92 per cent decline in dengue cases this year as compared to the last year. The Health Department said there were multiple factors, which resulted in decline in the number of cases, including micro planning, better groundwork and mass awareness.