The Jharkhand state government has announced a comprehensive rural healthcare initiative that aims to establish 500 new primary health centres across the state over the next three years. The programme, backed by a Rs 2,400 crore investment, will focus on tribal and remote areas where access to medical facilities remains severely limited.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren unveiled the initiative at a ceremony in Ranchi, describing it as the most ambitious healthcare expansion in the state’s history.
The programme will also deploy mobile medical units equipped with telemedicine facilities, enabling specialists in Ranchi and Jamshedpur to consult with patients in remote villages in real time.
Addressing the healthcare gap
Jharkhand currently has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in the country, with just one government doctor for every 12,000 residents in rural areas. The new programme aims to recruit 3,000 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and community health workers.
Health experts have praised the initiative but cautioned that recruitment and retention of medical staff in rural areas will be the programme’s greatest challenge.
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