Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag plans to move all outpatient department services to its medical college campus by January 2027, alongside efforts to restore a non-functional C-Arm machine and strengthen specialist coverage at its trauma centre.
The proposals were discussed at a meeting between college principal Dr Sunil Kumar Verma and Ranjan Choudhary, who represented MP Manish Jaiswal, on Thursday. Dr Verma said the under-construction OPD building is expected to be handed over by the end of December. If construction remains on schedule, services will move from the upgraded sadar hospital campus to the new building on the medical college campus the following month.
The proposed consolidation would bring outpatient services together at the medical college campus. The source report did not specify the number of departments or patients who would be covered by the shift, but the move is part of a broader plan to reorganise care delivery at the institution.
The hospital is also working to restore the orthopaedic department’s C-Arm machine, which has been out of service for more than a month. A C-Arm is an X-ray imaging system that provides surgeons with real-time images of bones and joints during procedures, including the positioning of orthopaedic implants. Its non-availability has affected surgeries, according to Dr Verma.
In addition to repairing the existing machine, the hospital is pursuing the procurement of another C-Arm system. The report did not provide a procurement value, supplier, or expected delivery date for the additional equipment.
Emergency care is another focus of the proposed revamp. The hospital plans to ensure that senior physicians and surgeons are available around the clock at the trauma centre. Dr Verma said the objective was to reduce referrals of critical patients to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, or RIMS, in Ranchi.
The plan places the medical college hospital’s trauma centre within a wider effort to improve the first level of specialist care available to patients in Hazaribag. However, the source report did not state how many specialists would be appointed or how the round-the-clock roster would be funded and implemented.
Dr Verma said the priority was to ensure that patients coming to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital receive timely and quality treatment without facing unnecessary difficulties. The immediate milestones are the expected handover of the OPD building by the end of December, the planned January 2027 shift, restoration of the existing C-Arm machine and progress on procuring an additional unit.
