Nitish recalls 'ICU days' of healthcare system in Bihar, lists major milestones

Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday said Bihar’s public health system, once in ICU before 2005, has witnessed a remarkable turnaround, with patients’ footfall in govt hospitals rising from just 39 per month to over 11,600 now.In a long post in Hindi on X, Nitish also pointed out that all people must remember those days before 2005 when health services in the state were in a shambles. No work was happening in the health sector. Even for minor illnesses, people were forced to go outside the state for treatment. At that time, the number of doctors and nurses was very low. Health centres remained almost closed.“In rural areas, in the name of primary health centres and community health centres, there were only dilapidated buildings with one to two rooms.

Those hospitals had neither doctors, nor nurses, nor any treatment facilities. Medicine availability in hospitals was negligible. People used to tie animals in dilapidated hospital buildings. Dogs were found lying on hospital beds instead of patients; many such pictures were seen then.

The condition of the health system was very terrible. In the poor system of that era, Bihar’s entire health system was counting its last breaths in the ICU,” he said in the post.

“I remember when I was an MP, once my mother fell ill and I took her to the IGIC at the PMCH in Patna, but the system there was very poor. Later, when our govt was formed, we first fixed the system there and even today if I see any deficiency anywhere, I get it corrected,” Nitish said while recalling his days as an MP.“At that time, the total budget of the health department was only Rs 705 crore. Facilities for X-ray, pathology, and other tests were not available in govt hospitals.

The number of govt medical colleges in the state was only six; they too were built before 1990 and were in a dilapidated condition. Not a single new medical college was built in the state between 1990 and 2005. This was the reason that in 2005 and before that, on average only 39 patients per month came for treatment to govt hospitals in the state, meaning only one to two patients per day could reach govt hospitals for treatment,” the post reads.“After the formation of the new govt in the state on Nov 24, 2005, we started working on improving health services on a priority basis. A special campaign was launched for the expansion and improvement of health facilities. First, from 2006, we started free medicine distribution in hospitals, which was inaugurated by the then vice-president Late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat at Gardiner Road Hospital in Patna. Various types of medicines were made available free of cost in hospitals across the state and as of today, more than 500 types of medicines are being provided free to patients.

Also, free facilities for testing various diseases are being provided to patients in govt institutions. Today, CT scan facilities have been provided in all medical colleges and district hospitals of the state, while MRI facilities are available at subsidised rates in seven medical colleges and hospitals of the state. Before 2005, there was no dialysis facility in any govt hospital in the state; today dialysis centres are being operated under public-private partnership in health institutions of all 38 districts,” the CM said.“In FY 2004-05, the budget of the health department was only Rs705 crore, which has now increased to more than Rs20,035 crore. As a result of expansion in health facilities, today there has been massive improvement in several health indicators in the state such as institutional delivery, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, and complete immunisation.Currently, the number of govt medical colleges in the state has risen to 12.

If we include the establishment of a new medical college by expanding Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna and medical colleges operated by the central govt, this number has become 15. Apart from this, 20 new govt medical colleges are under construction in the state, which will be completed soon. Thus, the total number of govt medical colleges in the state will become 35.

Apart from this, nine private medical colleges are also being opened in the state. Along with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Patna, a new AIIMS is also being constructed in Darbhanga. Also, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) is being redeveloped as a 5,462-bed hospital to make it the largest hospital in the country. The other five old medical colleges and hospitals are also being developed as 2,500-bed hospitals. IGIMS is also being developed as a 3,000-bed hospital,” Nitish said.