The IGIMS was the only autonomous medical institution in Bihar, but now the state government is planning to grant autonomy to five other healthcare institutions of Bihar.

Bihar’s principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, had recently said that the government was actively considering autonomy for five of its premier health facilities on the pattern of IGIMS.

Among the institutions being considered for grant of autonomy are the multi-specialty Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH); the Indira Gandhi Institute of Cardiology (IGIC), a superspecialty centre for cardiology; Rajendra Nagar Government Hospital, a superspecialty centre for eyecare; Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital, a superspecialty centre for orthopaedics; and the New Gardiner Road Hospital, a superspecialty centre for endocrinology and nephrology.

The autonomy of the medical institutes will directly affect to the people of the stae; there will be no free medical treatment, people will have to bear its cost. The clear indication can be seen in the statement of Dr. Nihar Ranjan Biswas.

During a seminar on kidney transplant organised at the institute recently, Dr Biswas said, “Medical institutions should be granted full autonomy in the true sense. With autonomy, appointment of director as also selection of faculty members should be done through all-India competitions.”

He floated the idea of “full autonomy to medical institutions” in presence of health minister Mangal Pandey, speaker of the Bihar legislative assembly Vijay Kumar Choudhary and principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar.

Dr Biswas said “The government should subsidize the cost of treatment and diagnostic tests, but not make healthcare facilities available free of cost to patients,” he added.

  AIIMS, Bihar, health, PMCH