Patna : Bihar’s Health Department has directed government hospitals to ensure 100% digital registration of patients in outpatient departments (OPDs) as part of efforts to strengthen digital health services and patient records across the state.
Health Secretary Kumar Ravi issued the directions during a review meeting on Wednesday. Hospitals have been asked to ensure ABHA-based registration, electronic health record (EHR) creation, online consultations and continuous monitoring of doctors’ online attendance.
For patients admitted to inpatient departments (IPDs), registration on the Bhavya portal has been made mandatory.
Referral System Under Review
The department has also directed hospitals to regularly monitor the referral system and avoid unnecessary referrals. Officials have been asked to ensure that patients are referred appropriately when specialised treatment or facilities are required.
The meeting also reviewed measures to prevent maternal and child deaths in hospitals. The department directed officials to work at every level to improve care and said action would be taken in cases of negligence.
The selection of ASHA workers was also reviewed, with officials instructed to ensure that recruitment is carried out according to prescribed targets.
District Hospitals To Expand Specialist Services
The department reviewed progress towards developing district hospitals as super-speciality medical centres and community health centres as specialised medical centres.
Officials also discussed the TB-Free and Anaemia-Free Bihar campaigns, with instructions to maintain focus on these public health programmes.
Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited Managing Director Subrata Kumar Sen and State Health Society Executive Director Amit Kumar Pandey were among the officials present at the meeting.
Surgical Procedures Rise At District Hospitals
The review also covered surgical services at district hospitals. Data presented during the meeting showed that 2,428 surgeries were performed in June 2026, 5,650 in July and 8,209 in August.
Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the corresponding number of surgery claims was 1,000 in June, 1,331 in July and 1,626 in August.
The figures were reviewed as part of the department’s assessment of healthcare services and the expansion of treatment facilities at district-level hospitals.
Hospital Repairs To Be Completed By October 31
The Health Department has also directed officials to complete ongoing repair and improvement work in hospitals by October 31.
The work includes painting, minor repairs, drinking water facilities, toilets, waiting areas, nursing desks and other patient amenities.
According to the department, work is currently being carried out across 36 district hospitals, 56 sub-divisional hospitals, 49 referral hospitals, 332 community health centres, 110 primary health centres, 147 urban primary health centres, 844 additional primary health centres and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.
The directives bring digital registration, patient record management, referral monitoring, hospital infrastructure and service delivery under a wider review of Bihar’s public healthcare system.
