Health Minister Irfan Ansari to personally treat patients in OPDs across Jharkhand

RANCHI: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, Jharkhand Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari will personally treat patients in the OPD. The minister, who is also an allopathy doctor, has announced that he will make regular visits to Sadar Hospitals in every district and provide OPD services to patients. According to Ansari, he does not want to be a minister only, but wants to understand the problems of patients closely by working on the ground and examining them as a doctor. Ansari said that he wants to meet patients in the OPDs to assess the actual situation in hospitals. For the first time in the country, a Health Minister will personally serve as a doctor and regularly attend outpatient treatment (OPDs). I will tour each and every district of Jharkhand and personally conduct outpatient treatment at Sadar Hospitals, said the Health Minister. His mission is to provide better healthcare to the public, he added. During his visits to Sadar Hospitals, Ansari will meet patients during his OPD sessions and will also conduct a detailed inspection of the hospital. This will include medication availability, staff shortages, sanitation, basic amenities, and the state of hospital infrastructure. Ansari said that he also plans to review the shifts, duty hours, and working styles of doctors and nurses and make appropriate changes. Transparency, accountability, and a patient-centric system are our goals, said the Health Minister. The announcement was made by the Minister while inspecting the outpatients departments (OPD) at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on Tuesday. The Health Minister made a surprise visit to RIMS, met patients admitted to the Trauma Centre, and listened to their concerns. He learned that many patients were allegedly made to purchase their medications from outside. The Minister also issued a stern reprimand to the RIMS Director and the concerned doctors, clearly stating that negligence in patient care will not be tolerated at any level.