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Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Health dept restructures use of hospital revenues
Ranchi: The health department has introduced a set of guidelines to overhaul the management of govt hospitals and align public health services with the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022. Under the new system, 25% of the earnings generated through claims under the insurance schemes will be distributed as incentives to doctors and support staff. The remaining 75% will be allocated for hospital operations, purchase of medicines and equipment, infrastructure maintenance and development, the guidelines said. The new guidelines also allow the govt healthcare institutions, including medical college hospitals, district hospitals, sub-divisional hospitals, referral hospitals, community health centres (CHCs), and primary health centres (PHCs) to directly use the revenue earned from health insurance schemes such as the Mukhyamantri Abua Swasthya Suraksha Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Yojana for their own development or share the revenue as incentives. As per the guidelines, in cases where hospitals avail services from external specialists or super-specialists, payments will be made from the 75% operational fund as per government-approved rates. Additional chief secretary (health), Ajoy Kumar Singh, "Additionally, hospitals are now empowered to recruit specialist doctors, technicians, nurses, and hospital managers from external sources using these funds, with district-level committees formed to oversee such appointments. These committees will be headed by the deputy commissioners, with the civil surgeons and deputy superintendents as members." For broader institutional efficiency, the govt has outlined an alternate allocation structure where 15% of the total earned amount is provided as incentives and the remaining 85% is utilised for operations, maintenance, procurement of medicines, consumables, and payments for specialist services. A special committee has also been constituted to manage the recruitment and service enhancement of medical colleges. The committee includes the director (medical education), principal of the medical college concerned, hospital superintendent, heads of department, and a joint or deputy secretary from the health department. The govt has set a clear financial target of an average monthly claim of Rs 50,000 per bed in all medical colleges and sadar hospitals within the next three years. "This ambitious goal is expected to drive improvements in service delivery and facilitate broader collaborations with private healthcare professionals," Ajoy Kumar Singh added.


Time of India
12-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Five govt med colleges to get oncology depts: Health secy
Ranchi: State department of health, medical education and family welfare will set up oncology departments in five govt medical colleges across the state. Addressing a day-long summit on cancer here, state health secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said oncology departments will be set up in Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Hazaribag, Palamu, and Dumka medical colleges. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Additionally, Ranchi Sadar Hospital will become the one of the largest government-run cancer treatment centres in the country," he said. Singh added that all major health schemes in the state, which includes Ayushman Bharat, Mukhyamantri Gambhir Bimari Yojana and others will fully cover cancer treatment. "Comprehensive screening for oral, cervical, and breast cancer will soon be launched across all primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, with diagnosed cases to be systematically uploaded on a centralized portal and referred for higher-level treatment," he said. T he department will provide incentives to private doctors to take part in public healthcare delivery, with honorariums ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 800 per OPD consultation and 13% to 35% of procedure charges for surgeries. "If private doctors contribute even a day per week in government hospitals, they will be duly honoured. This will improve accessibility and affordability of treatment across the state," he said. Singh said Jharkhand records 14,000-16,000 new cancer cases annually. Nearly 60% of these cases are detected in advanced stages. This delay in diagnosis significantly complicates treatment and increases costs", said Singh. Stressing on the need for early screening, Singh said 38% of all cancer cases in Jharkhand were oral cancer while 16% was cervical and breast cancer. Dr. Satish Sharma, senior oncologist and summit coordinator, stated, "State needs to make equal progress on awareness, clinical research, and equitable treatment. We must build an environment where rural patients receive the same level of care as urban counterparts." Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Director of Lung Connect India Foundation, "During a patient board survey, it was found that more than 80% of patients faced delays in receiving a proper diagnosis, with many initially misdiagnosed with diseases like tuberculosis. Around 50% of patients had experienced financial hardship due to expensive medication not being covered under insurance schemes."


Time of India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Free Wi-Fi in all govt hospitals in a month
1 2 Ranchi: The state health department on Wednesday said the patients and attendants visiting govt hospitals would be able to avail free Wi-Fi facilities within a month for easy access of health-related information, govt schemes, and other digital services. BSNL will be the service provider, the department said. Additional chief secretary of the health department, Ajoy Kumar Singh, said, "The move is a strategic step towards ensuring digital healthcare. This service is being introduced for patients' convenience, assisting them in obtaining information during their wait at the hospital," he said. "The Wi-Fi facilities will become operational within one month. All community health centres and primary health centres would also be equipped with this service in six months," he added. "All district hospitals would offer MRI and CT scan services. Besides, radiology departments would be set up in the five govt medical colleges — Rims, Ranchi; PMCH, Dhanbad; MGM, Jamshedpur; Hazaribag Medical College; and Dumka Medical College. The initiative is part of the state's aim to enhance timely diagnosis, especially in trauma, neurological, and cancer cases, reduce patient referral delays, and ensure uniform availability of critical radiological services across both urban and rural regions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like You Won't Believe the Price of These Dubai Apartments Binghatti Developers FZE Get Offer Undo This expansion aims to minimise patient dependence on private diagnostic centres and referrals to tertiary care hospitals in cities like Ranchi or outside the state. These units will not only provide clinical services but also serve as training and academic centres for undergraduate and postgraduate students in radiodiagnosis," Singh said. At present, CT and MRI scan services are available in only 11 out of the state's 24 districts. A state-wide teleradiology hub will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, the Sadar hospitals will be connected. With a budget of Rs 1.21 crore approved, the hub will also offer advanced training to technicians for X-ray, CT, and MRI procedures.


Time of India
05-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
State begins tech-driven overhaul of health services under
Ranchi: Jharkhand has begun introducing a series of tech-driven reforms in healthcare services aimed at improving accessibility, transparency and efficiency. In this regard, the state-run hospitals are now incorporating QR codes in patient reports, their payments, online medical records, and digital receipt systems. Further, the health department has also rolled out a comprehensive digital initiative to modernise public healthcare under the Mukhyamantri Digital Health Yojana, with the govt approving an estimated outlay of Rs 299.30 crore over five years (2025–26 to 2029–30). Under the scheme, all health institutions are being equipped with high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, enhanced IT hardware like high-end computers, printers, biometric scanners and ABHA card scanners. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing has been roped in to implement the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS) across the state. Additionally, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is responsible for providing Managed Wi-Fi and Internet Leased Line (ILL) services in 562 health institutions under an operating expense model for the next five years. Talking to TOI, additional chief secretary (health) Ajoy Kumar Singh said, "The initiative is designed to make healthcare services more accessible, efficient, affordable and equitable by integrating advanced digital technology. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Emphasising the vision of a welfare state, the scheme aligns with the objectives of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and promotes the use of technology to deliver quality healthcare services, especially in rural and remote areas. " Moreover, a command and control centre equipped with CCTV surveillance will be established at the state headquarters, medical colleges and all district hospitals. A central dashboard integrating health information management, enhanced recovery protocol, combined symptoms and medication score and electronic health records will also be developed for real-time monitoring and policy planning. The scheme sets out multiple objectives such as implementing Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission standards, enabling telemedicine, automating diagnostic services, streamlining hospital operations, and ensuring real-time data management. It also aims to offer 24x7 emergency consultations and digital referrals to higher medical centres. The implementation will follow a structured timeline. Joint secretary Bidyanand Sharma Pankaj said, "In the first year, digital health infrastructure will be installed in all medical colleges and district hospitals. In the second year, the focus will shift to sub-divisional hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centres, while subsequent years will focus on capacity building and maintenance. " Doctors have also expressed support for the initiative, saying technology and AI would significantly assist them in their work. Dr Vijay Mishra, the director at the Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Hospital, said, "Technology and digitisation have already made a big leap in diagnostics, especially in ophthalmology and internal medicine. It helps doctors reach quicker and more accurate conclusions." Dr Gagan Gunjan of the emergency department at Rims, said, "Digitisation is becoming the next big revolution in healthcare just like penicillin once was. From OPD to complex decision-making, it's transforming how we treat and interact with patients." Dr Vivek Kumar David, an orthopaedist at Paras Hospital, said, "Technology combined brings unmatched precision in surgeries. It guides surgical cuts and implant placement better than the human eye ever could." Meanwhile, a total of 54 technical experts and additional staff will be hired through contractual arrangements to augment the state's healthcare. An annual budget of Rs 15 crore has been allocated for human resources and Rs 10 crore for training and awareness for over five years. The state govt has also approved a budget of Rs 4921.28 lakh for IT hardware, Rs 11,711.78 lakh for wifFi infrastructure, Rs 2385.87 lakh for HMIS implementation, Rs 7052.19 lakh for CCTV-based control centres, and Rs 1359.6 lakh for the development and operation of the central monitoring dashboard. Moreover, Ranchi sadar hospital has already implemented a QR code-enabled system under its Laboratory Information and Management System (LIMS), and allows patients to access diagnostic reports online. Each sample vial will carry a QR code linked to patient details, making it possible to download reports from home without revisiting the hospital.