10 June : The poorer section in Bihar can soon undergo medical tests at government and private laboratories for free, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said.The government has decided to pay the bills of poor people of medical tests conducted at government and private laboratories, Kumar said.
The decision was taken after it was observed that "the number of poor patients visiting government hospitals increased following government’s decision to provide free medicines to them," Kumar told reporters at Patna on Wednesday.
The number of patients visiting health centres was 39 at the beginning of 2006. It rose to 4,000 by the end of 2006 and according to recent estimate, 3,500 patients visit government hospitals every month, he said.
The government is also planning to launch a scheme "Mamta" under which women of Ravidas community would be appointed to take care of the newborns and their mothers for at least two days in government hospitals.
These women would be paid a fixed remuneration on the basis of the number of patients they would attend, Kumar said after signing of an MoU between Bihar chapter of Red Cross Society and the state government for setting up government blood banks in 17 districts by the end of next month.