Bihar State health sector to get a boost

With a view to strengthening state’s health sector to provide better medicare to the people, the state government has taken up different projects across the state.

Briefing mediapersons here on Sunday, health minister Chandramohan Rai said the Bihar State Health Society plans to sanction Rs 80 crore to the building and construction department for infrastructure development. He said, earlier, a sum of Rs 70 crore was handed over to the department by the society.

Rai said the state government also plans to set up three new medical colleges at Bettiah, Nalanda and Madehpura. He said efforts are on to start construction work with regard to additional 11 district hospitals.

The minister said plans for sanctioning technical facilities to 76 referral hospitals all over the state in the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 have been sent to the department.

Regarding appointments, the minister said as many as 1,483 doctors have been appointed on contract basis. He said in the last financial year, in all, 1,092ANMs have been appointed while merit list for selection of A grade nurses numbering 3,000 has been sent to the districts. The minister said 477 blockhealth managers against 533 vacant posts had already been appointed.

About different national health programmes, the minister said spraying of DDT had been carried out in 31 districts of the state for eradication of kala-azar. He said medicines are available at all health sub-centres for leprosy patients.

Rai said for availing emergency ambulance service, six emergency control cells have been set up in the state and ambulance service have been provided to a large number of emergency patients till November 14, 2007. Under private-public agreement, 276 pathology centres and 134 radiology centres are working across the state, he said.

Under the Hospital Maintenance Programme, the state government is taking assistance from different NGOs for maintenance of the hospitals, internal and external sanitation and food for the patients, the minister said and added that efforts are on to provide 24-hour generator facilities to the hospitals.