Kolkata, Nov. 5 -- The state Health department has appointed two joint advisers, prioritising children's health alongside maternal healthcare.
Dr Arun Singh, a pediatrician, has returned as a health adviser following the change in guard in the state government. The Health department has also appointed Dr Arup Majhi, former head of the Gynaecology department at RG Kar Medical College, as an adviser. The move aims to improve the state's healthcare indicators by preventing maternal deaths and strengthening pediatric healthcare services, sources said.
During the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime, pediatrician Arun Singh left Bengal and moved to another state. Around 14 years ago, he was suddenly transferred from SSKM Hospital to Sagore Dutta Medical College, which lacked a dedicated newborn care department at that time. Towards the end of the TMC government's tenure, in January 2025, the veteran doctor returned to Bengal from AIIMS Jodhpur. At the time, he was consulted on measures to reduce the high infant mortality rate in South 24-Parganas district.
Subsequently, Singh accepted an invitation from the Chhattisgarh government and moved there. Health minister Sharadwat Mukherjee took the initiative to bring Arun Singh back to the state.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.