Bihar leads nation in free medicine supply in hosps
2
Patna: Bihar has secured the top position in the country for the eleventh consecutive month in the supply and distribution of free medicines in govt hospitals, according to the central govt's Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) portal, health minister Mangal Pandey said on Thursday.
He attributed the achievement to the state govt's commitment to improving public health and delivering quality healthcare services. "With the aim to make health services accessible and timely to the people, new hospitals are being constructed and health workers continuously appointed in the state under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar," Pandey said.
Citing data from the DVDMS portal, the minister said Bihar led the country with 82.13 points, followed by Rajasthan with 78.61 and Punjab with 73.28.
He added that Bihar's policy of free medicine distribution was approved by the cabinet on July 1, 2006.
"In 2006, only 47 types of medicines were available. At present, this number has increased to 611. In addition, 20 other types of medicines and 132 types of medical devices and consumables are also being provided for free. Now every patient visiting govt hospitals in the state is receiving medicines as per requirement without any charge," Pandey said.
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Highlighting improvements in maternal and child health indicators, he said, "The maternal mortality rate was 365 in 2005. It has now come down to 91. The infant mortality rate has decreased to 27, which is equal to the national average. The mortality rate of children under five has dropped to 29, which is better than the national average. The neonatal mortality rate (0-28 days) now stands at 19, again on par with the national average," he said.
According to the minister, the state has promoted institutional deliveries, leading to a reduction in home births. Vaccination coverage in Bihar has also reached 95% based on Health Management Information System (HMIS) data.
"Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, Bihar has achieved the target of generating four crore Ayushman cards and currently holds the third position in the country in this regard," Pandey added.
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