BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 26th April 2025: In a significant move aimed at strengthening healthcare services, the Tripura government has decided to link doctors’ salaries at GB Pant Hospital to their biometric attendance, announced Health Secretary Kiran Gitte during a press conference today.
Gitte highlighted the widespread trust people have in GB Pant Hospital, which caters to over 2,500 patients daily through its OPD services, drawing individuals not only from across Tripura but also from neighbouring states like Assam and Mizoram.
Speaking on the Ayushman Bharat (PM-JAY) and Chief Minister Jan Arogya Yojana (CM-JAY) schemes, Gitte shared that in the financial year 2024-25, GB Pant Hospital recorded 14,222 beneficiaries under PM-JAY and 7,003 beneficiaries under CM-JAY, collectively impacting over 21,000 individuals. Similarly, Tripura Medical College saw around 4,000 beneficiaries under PM-JAY and 2,000 under CM-JAY.
Gitte informed that between January 1 and April 12 this year, around 3,000 surgeries were performed at GB Pant, averaging approximately 40 surgeries per day, while about 250 surgeries are still pending. “We have sufficient numbers of doctors and surgeons,” he assured, adding that many complex procedures have also been successfully completed.
He further mentioned that under the Chief Minister’s Mukhyamantri Samipeshu programme, several patients with critical medical conditions were provided with necessary support. “We are also working on expanding the medicine ward and upgrading the Super Speciality building, although more equipment is still needed,” he said.
To enhance diagnostic capabilities and reduce patient referrals, a proposal for a CATH Lab worth ₹13 crore has been sanctioned by the Finance Department, while another proposal seeking ₹56 crore for advanced equipment and diagnostic tools has been submitted to the Government of India. Plans are also underway to recruit more super-speciality doctors from outside the state and to establish a dedicated Stroke Ward.
Gitte emphasized that from April onwards, biometric attendance for doctors has been made mandatory, with salaries now being directly tied to their recorded in-and-out timings and physical presence at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr. Shankar Chakraborty, providing a breakdown of surgeries conducted, stated that in the general surgery department alone, 147 major and 569 minor surgeries were performed in January, 264 major and 421 minor surgeries in February, and 287 major and 435 minor surgeries in March.
