In a landmark move towards women empowerment in the coal sector, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has inaugurated Coal India’s first fully women-operated dispensary at its Vasant Vihar campus in Bilaspur. The facility, now entirely managed by women staff—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and support personnel—was formally inaugurated by Shri Harish Duhan, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, SECL, in the presence of senior leadership including Shri N. Franklin Jayakumar, Director Technical (Operations & Project/Planning), Shri Biranchi Das, Director (HR), Shri D. Sunil Kumar, Director (Finance), and Shri Himanshu Jain, Chief Vigilance Officer.
The newly operationalized dispensary is staffed by a 14-member all-women team comprising five doctors, a matron, nurses, pharmacists, and other support staff. The facility will provide a range of healthcare services, including OPD consultations, emergency medical care, dressing and injection services, ECG diagnostics, blood sample collection for pathology tests, OPD pharmacy, and emergency referrals. CMD Shri Harish Duhan highlighted the dispensary as a reflection of the Coal Ministry’s vision to boost women’s participation and leadership in the industry, calling the initiative “a matter of great pride.”
Director (HR) Shri Biranchi Das emphasized SECL’s continued commitment to gender equality, stating that the Vasant Vihar Dispensary stands as a “concrete step” in creating equal opportunities for women in the organization. The inauguration ceremony was also attended by senior medical officers including Dr. (Mrs.) Pratibha Pathak, Dr. Shrutidev Mishra, and Dr. Arihant Jain, as well as trade union representatives and several SECL employees. This initiative is expected to not only elevate the quality and sensitivity of healthcare delivery but also position SECL as a trailblazer in promoting women’s leadership within Coal India.
