Hospital for TB, HIV and Leprosy Inaugurated in Bengal

Inauguration of St Joseph's Hospital Midnapore

MIDNAPORE, W.Bengal, (C.M. Paul) – Marking 125^th anniversary of the erection of the archdiocese of Calcutta, Coadjutor archbishop Thomas D’Souza of Calcutta blessed the newly constructed St Joseph’s Hospital at Phulbari in West Midnapore in the presence of Archbishop Lucas Sircar of Calcutta and dignitaries, 13 November 2011.

Some 600 people took art in the events starting with cutting of the ribbon by project sponsor and president of Liquidace Lepry (Leprosy Eradication) Dr. (Fr.) Elias Vojtech ofCzechRepublicalong with director Mr. Haza Luvos and film-maker Mr Dennis.

The two storey St Joseph’s Hospital situated close to Vidyasagar University is established “for the benefit of the local people of Midnapore irrespective of caste or creed in general and the poor and the lower middle class in particular,” said Dr Tapas Francis Biswas from Kolkata who left his practice in Ireland and joined the hospital staff.

The hospital project, under the direction of Seva Kendra Kolkata, the archdiocesan social service centre director Fr Reginald Fernandes, has two wings. One entirely free section treats Tuberculosis, Leprosy and HIV positive patients. The other, paying section caters to General Medical and General Surgical patients.

There are 40 inpatient beds to begin with.

“There have been 905 fresh cases of Leprosy reported in Midnapore district in the first five month of 2010,” said Fr Fernandes reminding the well-wishers on the urgency of this 7-year old hospital project in Midnapore.

The out patient department (OPD) facilities is served by regular visiting doctors.

The other features available at the hospital are: 24 hour Emergency, Ambulance, Operation Theatre and Pharmacy services.

Among added services at affordable prices from the hospital are: Laboratory (biochemistry / haematology / Pathology) Radiology including Ultrasonography (USG).

To fight the acute shortage of trained and qualified nurses inBengal, a nursing school for local girls is planned.

Sr Lizy Sebastian of the Sisters of the Divine Saviour is the administrator.

Her plan is to make the hospital self reliant and expand the services to other specialties like Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Gynaecology & Obstetrics, ENT, Plastic Surgery, Ophthalmology and Psychiatry.

The Archdiocese of Calcutta also runs a Diagnostic Centre at Sacred Heart Church Dahramtala premises on Lenin Sarani.