Patna: State health minister Mangal Pandey on Tuesday told the Bihar legislative council that a blood bank facility will be set up at Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan Hospital (LNJP) in Rajbanshi Nagar within the next six months.Replying to a short-notice question by RJD MLC Kartik Kumar, Pandey said the department would complete the required process for establishing the blood bank within the stipulated period. He said blood for multi-trauma, road accident and other emergency cases is currently being arranged from Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) or Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), as required.Pandey also informed the House that 400 additional beds are being added to LNJP and that the expansion will be ready within the next three to four months. He said the addition would make LNJP one of the country’s largest hospitals dedicated to orthopaedic treatment.Kumar said that despite LNJP being a specialised orthopaedic hospital and a trauma centre, it lacks a blood bank, affecting emergency care for patients, including those brought in after major road accidents during the “golden hour”.During the proceedings, MLC Abdul Bari Siddiqui raised concerns over tuberculosis patients, citing a lack of awareness in rural areas and gaps in access to benefits under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana and food basket support. Pandey said there were 2,14,858 registered TB patients in 2025 and that they are being provided free tests, medicines and counselling. He said 79,197 patients have received monetary assistance under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, with the monthly amount increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.Pandey said “Nikshay Mitras”, including well-off individuals, cooperative societies and public representatives, are providing food baskets for at least six months during treatment, and 20,761 TB patients have received food baskets so far. He said the department monitors the H1 register, a logbook maintained by medicine stores to track TB medicines sold, and contacts patients accordingly. He added that awareness campaigns are being run and more people are coming forward for treatment.MLC Dr Rajvardhan Azad raised the issue of unqualified ‘jhooola chaap’ doctors and sought a rule to curb their practice. He cited a case in which a pregnant woman died during delivery at an emergency healthcare facility on GT Road under Madanpur police station in Aurangabad, where a rural practitioner was present.Pandey said such practitioners have no right to carry out any operation or prescribe medicines. He said there are 33,000 Chikitsa Paramarshi who have been imparted training in Bihar, and that action is taken in cases of negligence or if unqualified practitioners are found providing treatment.
