Ranchi, March 23 The Jharkhand government is working to strengthen the state's healthcare system through a "hub and spoke" model to improve access to specialized treatment, a senior official said on Monday.
Speaking at a day-long conference on "Guidelines for Organisation and Delivery of Intensive Care Services", Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajoy Kumar Singh said under this model, stronger coordination is being established between the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi and the Sadar hospitals in the districts.
He said that four major district hospitals have already been connected to RIMS through a tele-ICU network.
"In the future, private hospitals in other districts will also be connected to this network so that patients in remote areas can receive specialist consultations," he said.
The hospitals currently linked to the tele-ICU network are those in Khunti, Gumla, Latehar, and Ranchi.
Singh said that the state currently has around 28,000 hospital beds, evenly split between government and private facilities.
"As per norms, around 15 per cent of the total beds, about 4,200, should be ICU beds. However, at present, fewer than 1,000 ICU beds are available. A roadmap has been prepared for the next three to four years to bridge this gap," he said.
The state also plans to increase the total number of hospital beds to around 60,000 in line with healthcare standards, he added.
Singh acknowledged that 18 districts are currently facing a significant shortage of ICU beds.
"To address this, technical personnel will be given specialized training in ventilator operation and ICU management in coordination with RIMS," he said.
