The Hamro Hill Terai Dooars Tea Garden Workers’ Association has urged the West Bengal government to strengthen healthcare facilities in tea garden areas by upgrading existing hospitals and dispensaries instead of setting up new medical institutions. The union submitted a memorandum to officials of the North Bengal Development Department at Uttarkanya, the state’s branch secretariat in Siliguri.
The association welcomed the state government’s decision to allocate ₹72 crore for improving healthcare services for tea garden workers and suggested that the funds be used to modernise existing medical facilities across the Darjeeling hills and adjoining tea-growing regions.
The union proposed upgrading hospitals and dispensaries in several tea estates, including Ambootia, Longview, Teendharia, Margaret’s Hope, Kumai, Tingling, Singbuli, Gopaldhara, Badamtam and Chungthung. It sought the installation of digital X-ray, ECG and ultrasound facilities, pathology laboratories, regular medicine supplies and improved ambulance services.
The association also demanded the appointment of adequate healthcare personnel, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and support staff. To improve medical access in remote plantation areas, it proposed introducing telemedicine and WhatsApp-based consultation services.
The union recommended a hub-and-spoke healthcare model, where upgraded regional health centres would provide secondary care support to nearby tea gardens, while local dispensaries continue as primary healthcare units. It said strengthening existing facilities along with strategically located health centres would significantly improve healthcare access for thousands of tea workers and their families across North Bengal.
