Patna: The Bihar government has announced a major overhaul of healthcare benefits for public servants, unveiling a cashless treatment scheme for nearly one million government employees and their dependants during the state assembly’s budget session on Friday.
The announcement was made by the deputy chief minister, Samrat Choudhary, after sustained pressure from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators during Question Hour. Under the new policy, members of the legislative assembly and council, along with state government employees, will no longer have to pay upfront for medical treatment, marking a shift away from the existing reimbursement-based system.
The issue was raised by BJP MLA Raghavendra Pratap Singh, who criticised the reimbursement process as impractical and burdensome for employees. As Choudhary initially referred to a proposed meeting on the matter, Singh pressed for an immediate decision. The intervention was backed by BJP MLA Jivesh Mishra, who questioned the need for further deliberation when the government was already present in the House. Shortly afterwards, Choudhary announced that the cashless treatment facility would be implemented, with a formal meeting on the rollout to be held within a week.
The government also revealed plans to expand medical education infrastructure by establishing new medical colleges through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Responding to a query from MLA IP Gupta, Choudhary said a new policy framework for PPP-based medical colleges was being prepared and would be announced soon.
Addressing concerns over staffing shortages, the deputy chief minister acknowledged difficulties in attracting doctors to government medical colleges in Bettiah and Madhepura, despite the availability of infrastructure and resources. He said the move towards a PPP model was partly driven by this challenge and added that the government was considering a policy to limit private practice by government-employed doctors.
Healthcare staffing at community health centres (CHCs) also came under scrutiny in the House. A question by BJP MLA Nitish Mishra on the number of doctors, nurses and support staff prompted an answer from the health minister, Pramod Chandravanshi, that drew laughter from legislators. Choudhary intervened to clarify that the relevant posts had been sanctioned in 2025 and that appointments would be made soon.
Amid repeated questioning and political pressure, the government sought to underline its commitment to improving Bihar’s healthcare system. Officials described the introduction of cashless treatment and the decision to build medical colleges under the PPP model as key steps towards strengthening public health services in the state.
