Patna: The Bihar government has announced a major expansion of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna, aiming to address the growing pressure on its emergency and intensive care units. Speaking during Question Hour in the state assembly on Friday, the health minister, Mangal Pandey, said that 1,450 new beds will be added to the hospital in the next financial year. He described the move as an important step to ensure that patients receive timely treatment without facing long waits.
According to the minister, the government is constructing a new 500-bed building as part of the expansion. Out of these, two blocks with 250 beds each have already become operational. These blocks include general ward beds as well as high dependency unit (HDU) and intensive care unit (ICU) beds. In addition, another large hospital building with a capacity of 1,200 beds is currently under construction. Once the remaining 250 beds in the 500-bed building are functional and the 1,200-bed facility is completed, the total increase in capacity will reach 1,450 beds.
The expansion is expected to provide major relief to the emergency ward, ICU and ventilator-supported units, which have been facing heavy demand in recent years. The minister admitted that due to the limited number of beds at present, patients sometimes struggle to find space in the emergency ward. With the steady rise in the number of people seeking treatment at IGIMS, the pressure on doctors and medical staff has also increased.
Data shared in the assembly showed that in 2025 alone, 50,284 patients were admitted and treated at the institute. The issue was raised by Sakra MLA Aditya Kumar, who said that patients are facing difficulties due to the shortage of beds. He also demanded that a quota of beds be reserved for MLAs at the institute. The government, however, focused on the broader expansion plan, stating that the additional beds will benefit all patients and help improve healthcare services in the state.
Officials believe that once the new facilities are fully operational, waiting times in emergency and critical care units will reduce significantly. The expansion of IGIMS is seen as a key step in strengthening public healthcare infrastructure in Bihar and ensuring better access to advanced medical treatment for people across the state.
