RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, March 14: The Health Department has started taking the initiative to reduce the load on the only state-run super specialty hospital of the state, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
Health minister Banna government informed this in assembly while replying on behalf of the government after a debate on the budgetary provision of Rs 5618.18 crore for three departments including health, medical education and family welfare department, forest and environment department and the food and civil supplies department.
Gupta said the state government has provided funds ranging between Rs 10 crore to Rs 14 crore for the improvement of Sadar Hospitals from where patients are referred to RIMS. He said that Sadar Hospitals are located in Chatra, Khunti, Gumla, Simdega, Ramgarh, Latehar, Hazaribagh, and Ranchi besides other places.
Apart from this, he said the government is also in action to develop trauma centres in the district closer to NH and named Baharagora, Ghatshila, Ramgarh, Barhi, Bagodar, Koderma and Giridih besides similar other places. He said steps have also been taken for the up-gradation of the medical college at Dumka.
The information came in response to the suggestion of BJP legislator Samri Lal to reduce the crowd at RIMS by providing basic necessary infrastructure at Sadar hospital of districts close to RIMS and improving the facility at the community health centres in different blocks of the Ranchi, from where patients are referred to RIMS due to lack of necessary equipment.
During the debate, BJP legislators Anant Kumar Ojha and former health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi had expressed their concern over the limited manpower saying the state has only 1800 doctors against the sanctioned strength of 3500 and requirement of 7880 doctors according to WHO norms. Apart from this, they, citing various data, had also said that 17172 posts of paramedical staff are vacant across the state. On which the minister Gupta said requisition has been sent to the recruitment agency, JPSC, for their regular requirement.
Ojha during his speech on his cut motion had pointed out loopholes in the health system citing clippings of newspapers.
On which the minister said despite odds the state government is ready with 28621 surplus beds to fight the pandemic. He said that it is the commitment of the government that it has planned to cover people of different income groups in the situation of critical illness. The government, he said, empowered civil surgeons to recommend those for benefit under the CM Critical Illness Scheme who has an income of Rs 5 lakh per annum and empowered the health department secretary to recommend persons under the scheme who have income of Rs 10 lakh per annum. For people having more than Rs 10 lakh per annum, the government has empowered the cabinet to take decisions.
During the debate, it was alleged that the government sells blood. On which the minister said blood is provided free of cost from government-run blood banks. Charge, he said, is taken from the private blood banks who take blood free of cost from government-run blood banks and charge Rs 2000 for the same blood from their patients.
