By Sunil Sonker
Mussoorie, 8 Jan: The only government health facility in Mussoorie, the Sub-District Hospital, has now started providing eye surgery services. Under this historic initiative, the eye operation theatre was jointly inaugurated by the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the Sub-District Hospital, Dr Khajan Singh Chauhan, and the Municipal Chairperson, Meera Saklani, at a programme held in the hospital premises on Thursday.
Following the inauguration, the first patient underwent a successful cataract surgery performed by eye surgeon Dr Neha Panti.
During the programme, eye surgeon Dr Neha Panti welcomed Municipal Chairperson Meera Saklani by presenting her with a shawl. She assured that, now, more eye patients will be treated and operated on at the Mussoorie Sub-District Hospital. Dr Panti said that the government and the hospital administration have provided all the necessary equipment and resources for eye surgeries, which will enable local people to receive better treatment. Expressing her happiness, she said that now patients will not have to go to Dehradun for eye surgeries.
Municipal Chairperson Meera Saklani expressed her gratitude to the hospital management on this occasion. She said that due to the tireless efforts of CMS Dr Khajan Singh Chauhan, many types of surgeries have been successfully performed here in the past, and the commencement of eye surgeries is a commendable and historic step. She said that Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi is continuously making efforts to upgrade the Mussoorie Sub-District Hospital. Recently, the shortage of doctors and paramedical staff has been addressed, and currently, all the necessary doctors and staff are available at the hospital. She added that there are some difficulties regarding Class IV employees, which will be resolved soon.
The Municipal Chairperson further stated that the construction of a post-mortem house and parking facility is proposed in the hospital premises. In this regard, Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi had previously inspected the site and instructed the MDDA officials to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR), and now the officials will be asked to start the construction work soon. She said that while the government is continuously striving to improve health facilities in Mussoorie, the municipality is also providing its full support at its level.
CMS Dr Khajan Singh Chauhan stated that the sub-district hospital is being continuously upgraded. With the support of Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi, the availability of modern equipment has been ensured at the hospital, and the shortage of doctors and staff has also been addressed. He said that orthopaedic, gynaecology, and ophthalmology surgeries are now being performed regularly at the hospital. Dr Chauhan explained that the Mussoorie sub-district hospital is the main centre for healthcare services not only for the city but also for dozens of surrounding villages. With the commencement of surgical facilities, people will no longer have to travel to Dehradun or other cities for treatment. He appealed to the local public to take maximum advantage of the healthcare facilities available at the sub-district hospital. Finally, he expressed his gratitude to Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi and the state government, saying that with their support, healthcare services in Mussoorie are continuously being strengthened. Optometrist Anil Tamta was also present on this occasion.
