Doctors to helm health centres

Patna: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced that doctors will man health sub-centres in Bihar and the state government will recruit adequate number of medical practitioners for this.

At present, two auxiliary nurses and midwives run these sub-centres, which form the lowest rung of health facilities in Bihar. “We are trying to ensure that doctors sit and treat people at health sub-centres. The government will recruit adequate number of doctors for the purpose. We have also simplified the appointment process for doctors here,” Nitish said.

He was speaking after inaugurating 57 health-related projects worth Rs 167 crore, including two community health centres, two additional primary health centres and 22 health sub-centres. He also laid the foundation stones for 244 schemes that will be completed at a cost of Rs 617 crore, including 22 additional primary health centres and 121 health sub-centres.

These community health centres, additional primary health centres and sub-centres are part of multi-sectoral development programme being implemented by the minority welfare department.

Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, health minister Mangal Pandey, minority welfare minister Khurshid alias Feroz Ahmad and health department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar were also present on the occasion.

Nitish elaborated the steps taken by the state government to strengthen and improve health services, including the blueprint to develop Patna Medical College and Hospital into an international-standard 5,000-bed facility.

“The reconstruction of PMCH will be completed in eight years, but it won’t create problems in health services at the hospital. I hope the redevelopment work of PMCH will be completed earlier than the stipulated time,” Nitish added.

The chief minister said the government planned to develop Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences into hospitals with 2,500 beds each. “Soon the state will have 23 government medical colleges and hospitals. The number of hospitals in the non-government sector is also increasing. All these will bring a huge change in the health sector in Bihar,” Nitish said.

Medical institutions are going to be opened at the district- and sub-divisional levels in the state under Nitish’s seven-resolve programme for a developed Bihar and Nitish said it will lead to employment in the infrastructure sector too.

Expressing happiness over the designs of the health centres that will be built, Nitish asked the officials to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in the hospitals, as it leaves a positive psychological impact on patients. He also emphasised the need for proper biomedical waste management.

Nitish directed the officials to ensure that medicines are available at all primary health centres and health sub-centres and create posts of doctors in needed for centres where only nurses are posted.

The chief minister remembered how once he had gone to a hospital in Biharsharif as a parliamentarian and had seen a dog sleeping on a bed there. “The health sector was in a shambles when we came to power in 2005. Only 39 patients visited primary health centres in a month on an average. We took immediate steps and the numbers shot up to 1,500 to 2,000 patients per month per primary health centre in just a year. It has crossed 10,000 per month at present,” Nitish said.

Courtesy: The Telegraph