Sri Vijaya Puram, June 16: The President of the Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee Shri. Rangalal Halder has expressed serious concern over the continued non-availability of the HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) Blood Test facility at GB Pant Hospital, Port Blair, causing immense hardship to patients and their families across the Islands.
In a representation addressed to the Secretary (Health), A&N Administration, Shri Halder highlighted that patients visiting GB Pant Hospital, the premier government referral hospital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, are being compelled to approach private hospitals and diagnostic centres for undergoing HCV blood tests and other essential investigations.
Shri Halder stated that despite seeking treatment at a government healthcare institution, patients are being forced to incur additional expenditure from their own pockets for diagnostic tests that should ordinarily be available within the hospital. This situation has become particularly burdensome for economically weaker sections, daily wage earners, senior citizens, and patients arriving from remote islands who already bear significant travel expenses, accommodation costs, and loss of wages while seeking medical treatment in Port Blair.
He further observed that the public finds it difficult to understand why patients are being compelled to depend on private establishments for essential diagnostic services when substantial public funds are allocated every year for the functioning, maintenance, and development of government healthcare institutions
Shri Halder emphasized that the continued non-availability of essential diagnostic facilities not only causes inconvenience and financial hardship to patients but also undermines public confidence in the government healthcare system.
The ANTCC President has urged the Secretary (Health), A&N Administration, to take immediate and effective steps to restore and ensure the availability of HCV Blood Testing and all other essential blood investigations at GB Pant Hospital without further delay.
He stressed that patients deserve timely, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare services under one roof and that no citizen should be forced to seek basic diagnostic facilities from private establishments due to deficiencies in the public healthcare system.