Govt appoints 1,224 doctors as Nitish vows to strengthen healthcare facilities in Bihar

Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday handed over appointment letters to 1,224 newly appointed specialist and general medical officers at a health department programme in Patna, reiterating the state govt’s focus on strengthening the public health system and improving services in govt hospitals.After handing over the appointment letters, the CM extended his best wishes to the newly appointed doctors for their future endeavours. Addressing the gathering, he said the govt was continuously working to reinforce the healthcare system and urged the doctors to discharge their duties with sincerity and commitment so that people across the state could benefit from improved medical facilities.Appointment letters were ceremonially handed over by the CM to Anubhav Prakash, Mrinal Kumar, Raushan Kumar, Neha Kumari, Ravi Ranjan Kumar, Utkarsh Sharma, Ashish Ranjan, Alok Ranjan and Abhishek Kumar.The programme came against the backdrop of recent measures taken by the govt to tighten discipline and accountability within the health services. These steps include framing rules to curb private practice by govt doctors to ensure their full availability in public hospitals, particularly in rural areas. At the same time, inspections have been carried out in govt hospitals to identify and take action against touts and middlemen who lure patients and their attendants to private hospitals, X-ray centres and private medical stores.

Health department secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh welcomed the CM with a bouquet. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, health minister Mangal Pandey, principal secretary to the CM Deepak Kumar, health department secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh, principal secretary to the CM Kumar Ravi, health department special secretary Himanshu Sharma, Patna DM Thiyagarajan SM, SSP Kartikeya Sharma and other senior officials were present along with the selected candidates.