Bihar Hospitals: 70 Surgeries, Better ICU Care Now Mandated

Bihar's health department has issued a directive for all district hospitals to enhance their surgical and critical care capabilities. A significant focus is on ensuring the availability of 70 distinct types of surgeries, with dedicated operation theatres for gynecology, general surgery, and orthopedics to be developed or created using prefabricated structures if needed. This initiative aims to bolster the capacity of government hospitals to manage a wider range of surgical cases locally.

Furthermore, the department is prioritizing the urgent operationalization of ventilator-equipped ICUs in all district hospitals. Health Secretary Kumar Ravi emphasized that patient referrals must be logged online through the Bhavya portal and preceded by basic diagnostic tests. The strategy also seeks to minimize direct referrals from primary and community health centers to higher-level hospitals, thereby empowering district hospitals to handle more cases and improve the efficiency of the healthcare referral system across the state. The review meeting also addressed doctor availability and performance under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.