In a rare instance, Jharkhand’s health minister and Congress leader Irfan Ansari has sought suggestions from the state’s MPs and MLAs on health urgencies of their areas which can be incorporated in the annual budget of 2025-26.

The health minister took to social media requesting all the 14 MPs and the 81 MLAs to give suggestions based on the actual health requirements of their areas so that it can be incorporated in the annual budget for the betterment of public welfare. “Healthy society is the foundation of a prosperous state. Schemes will be implemented to improve health services in Jharkhand. Under this, availability of necessary resources will be ensured from primary health centers to district hospitals along with modernisation. We seek suggestions from leaders, MPs and MLAs for their regions,” said Ansari.

This is the first such instance in the over two-decade old state of Jharkhand that a minister has gone public seeking suggestions from MPs and MLAs for incorporating it in the annual budget.

In this connection, a meeting was held with senior health officials including additional chief secretary (health) Ajoy Kumar Singh at Ranchi on Monday. Sources who attended the meeting informed that the government has set up a one year target of converting the five existing medical colleges and hospitals+-into super speciality health hubs.

“The health department has set a target of converting 200 beds in each of the state-owned medical colleges and hospitals at Dumka, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Palamu and Dhanbad into super-speciality centres. Each of these centres have over 500-bed facilities after super speciality facilities, there will be 300 plus beds for normal patients. The state already has a super speciality facility at Ranchi-based Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS),” the health official informed.