Patna: In a significant step towards enhancing healthcare services and ensuring patient safety, the Bihar government has launched an ambitious plan to install over 23,000 CCTV cameras across its healthcare network, from district hospitals to primary health centres. The move, aimed at enabling real-time monitoring of both medical treatment and hospital security, marks a new phase in the state’s push for digital health reforms.
In the first phase of the project, Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned, with the total cost projected at Rs 20 crore. According to officials in the Health Department, the new initiative will involve the installation of 48 cameras each in 36 district hospitals (totalling 1,728), 40 cameras each in 54 sub-divisional hospitals (totalling 2,160), and 19,232 cameras across 601 community health centres, referral hospitals, and primary health centres.
The cameras will be placed not only in public spaces but also in doctors’ chambers, with live feeds displayed on monitoring screens installed within the hospital premises. This is expected to significantly improve oversight of patient care as well as staff attendance and performance.
Currently, around 1,170 CCTV cameras are operational in select child care units and other institutions. The expansion will cover healthcare facilities that previously lacked any online monitoring systems.
The surveillance upgrade will complement the ongoing implementation of Bhavya — the Bihar Hospital Information Management Scheme — which has already digitised key services like OPD registration, online consultation, drug distribution, radiology, pathology, and inpatient care. Authorities believe that integrating CCTV monitoring into this digital ecosystem will enable timely intervention and targeted improvements in hospital operations.
