Chief minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday directed a comprehensive overhaul of the healthcare system in Jharkhand, with a focus on strengthening infrastructure, improving emergency response, and ensuring wider access to affordable services.
AI-Based Ambulance Control Room
Expressing concern over the 108-ambulance services, the CM ordered the establishment of an AI-based control room for real-time monitoring and accountability. He said, “Officials must study app-based aggregator services to model the state’s ambulance services to ensure faster patient transport during emergencies.”
‘Abua Dawakhanas’ for Free Medicines
Chairing a high-level review of the health, medical education and family welfare department at Project Building in the presence of health minister Irfan Ansari and senior officials, Hemant stressed on fast tracking the department’s plan to roll out ‘Abua Dawakhanas’. These are integrated centres for providing free medicines from multiple systems including allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
Separate Strategies for Rural and Urban Areas
“There is a need for separate health strategies for rural and urban areas with focused emergency care for diseases like stroke, cardiac ailments and diabetes, and expansion of medical college seats,” Hemant said. He instructed officials to create a health profile for every citizen, besides directing the department to ensure availability of doctors and staff at all healing centres.
Manpower and Recruitment
“Manpower shortage must not affect the services,” Hemant said, emphasising on speeding up of recruitment of Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and General Nursing and Midwifery (GNMs). The CM also directed the department to study best models in different states for blood banks and organ donation, and to prepare an adoption plan based on latest technologies.
