Patna: The Bihar government has announced plans to install CCTV cameras in all 15,000 government health institutions across the state as part of a broader effort to improve accountability and strengthen public healthcare services.
Health Minister Nishant Kumar said the surveillance system would be used to monitor doctors’ attendance and work within hospitals, adding that he would personally oversee the monitoring process.
CCTV Monitoring Across Government Hospitals
Speaking to reporters, Nishant said the Health Department was developing software that would record doctors’ attendance and activities during working hours.
According to the minister, the system is intended to track when doctors report for duty and leave the hospital, while also documenting their work, including outpatient (OPD) consultations, inpatient (IPD) care, surgeries and other medical responsibilities.
He said the government hopes the initiative will improve attendance and ensure that patients receive timely healthcare services.
“Our objective is to ensure that medicines supplied by the government reach the people in the right quantity through the proper channels. We also want to address the issue of absenteeism among doctors and other healthcare staff,” Nishant said.
Hospital Upgrades Planned
The minister also announced plans to upgrade all district hospitals into super-specialty hospitals in phases, while Community Health Centres (CHCs) will gradually be developed into specialty hospitals.
In addition, the government plans to establish 11 Level-3 trauma centres and five Level-2 trauma centres across Bihar’s five administrative zones.
A new 400-bed hospital block is also proposed at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.
Action Following PMCH Inspection
The announcement comes days after the Health Department relieved Narendra Pratap Singh of his additional charge as Principal-in-Charge of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
The action followed an inspection by Health Minister Nishant Kumar, during which Singh was reportedly absent from his office without prior intimation or handing over charge to another official.
According to the department, he also did not respond to calls from officials during the inspection.
Singh has since been posted as a Professor in Bettiah. Professor Geeta Sinha of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at PMCH has been given additional charge as Principal-in-Charge until further orders.
