THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Dec 26: Chief Minister Hemant Soren today directed officials to create a comprehensive health circuit linking all medical colleges, district hospitals, and other healthcare facilities across the state.
This initiative aims to facilitate the seamless transfer of patients between hospitals based on their needs, reducing the burden on any single hospital.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring that all hospitals are equipped with modern treatment facilities.
These directives were issued during a high-level review meeting with the Health, Medical Education, and Family Welfare Department.
The Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality healthcare services within the state.
Hospitals to Operate 24/7
The Chief Minister instructed the Health Department to ensure that all government hospitals in the state operate round the clock. To achieve this, doctors and paramedical staff must be available at all times to guarantee timely treatment for patients. He also called for initiatives to upgrade facilities at Community Health Centers (CHCs) and district hospitals, ensuring they meet modern healthcare standards.
Specialist Doctors in District and Sadar Hospitals
The Chief Minister emphasised the need for specialist doctors in all district hospitals and instructed officials to take steps to implement this. He also suggested extending such arrangements to CHCs. This initiative aims to minimize unnecessary referrals to medical colleges and alleviate patient congestion in larger hospitals.
Strengthening Hospital Management
The Chief Minister expressed concern over recurring complaints of hospital mismanagement. Issues such as bed shortages, delays in patient examinations, and overcrowded OPDs were highlighted. To address these, he directed officials to enhance hospital management systems and ensure patients receive treatment-related information easily. He suggested hiring professionals to improve hospital administration and management practices.
Facilitating Peritoneal Dialysis for Kidney Patients
Highlighting the rising number of kidney patients, the Chief Minister stressed the need to adopt peritoneal dialysis, which allows patients to perform dialysis at home. This would reduce the burden on hospitals and medical staff while providing patients with timely care. The Health Department was instructed to ensure the availability of necessary medicines and equipment for this procedure.
Creating a Database for Cancer Patients
The Chief Minister pointed out the alarming rise in cancer cases and noted that many patients travel out of state for treatment. He urged officials to compile a comprehensive database of cancer patients in the state. This data will help the government plan and provide better local treatment facilities for such patients.
Operationalizing Five New Medical Colleges
The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of five new medical colleges and hospitals under construction. He directed officials to make these institutions fully operational as soon as possible to reduce the pressure on RIMS and other large hospitals. He also emphasised the need for better management of CHCs, particularly in rural and remote areas, to ensure basic healthcare is accessible to rural populations.
Key Instructions for Improving RIMS
The Chief Minister issued several directives to enhance the functioning of RIMS (Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences):
- The Regional Eye Institute under construction on the RIMS campus must be operational by February next year.
- All OPD and diagnostic services should be housed in a single building for greater convenience.
- Outdated medical equipment should be replaced with modern and advanced machinery.
- The appointment process for specialist doctors must be expedited.
- Patients requiring only nursing or post-treatment care should be shifted to Sadar Hospital, freeing up beds for critical patients at RIMS.
- Departments at RIMS experiencing heavy patient loads should also be relocated to Sadar Hospital, provided it is equipped with the necessary facilities.
- Steps should be taken to remove encroachments within the RIMS campus.
- Measures must be implemented to enhance security and prevent the entry of unauthorized individuals into the campus.
Attendees of the Meeting
The high-level meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Avinash Kumar, Principal Secretary of Health Department Ajay Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary of Urban Development Department Sunil Kumar, Secretary K. Srinivas, Mission Director (NHM) Abu Imran, MNREGA Commissioner Mrityunjay Kumar, Municipal Commissioner of Ranchi Municipal Corporation Sandeep Singh, Director of Urban Administration Satyendra Kumar, Director of RIMS Dr. Rajkumar, Director of Health Services Dr. C.K. Shahi, and other senior officials.
