By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Bihar Health Department is preparing to privatise the state’s only government-run super-specialty eye hospital, originally built on the vision of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Located in Rajendra Nagar, Patna, this eye hospital was designed to function like a major corporate hospital, but is now likely to be handed over to private management. Talks are underway with private healthcare providers for the transfer, as the government appears uninterested in managing the facility.
The renowned eye hospital chain, Sankara Netralaya, has expressed interest in taking over the management. Recently, a team of doctors and officials from the hospital inspected the 106-bed facility, including its six modular operating theatres. Though the team’s affiliation was undisclosed, departmental sources confirmed they represented Sankara Netralaya. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent inauguration of Sankara Eye Hospital in Varanasi, he encouraged the management to open similar facilities in Bihar.
Despite being considered a flagship project under Nitish Kumar’s vision, the hospital has faced government neglect since its inauguration in 2020. According to hospital employees, no permanent doctors or medical staff were appointed, apart from the director-in-charge, leaving the facility reliant on four deputed doctors and four bond doctors. Nevertheless, the hospital conducts daily cataract surgeries and various tests free of charge, serving an average of over 300 patients in the outpatient department.
Staff believe that with adequate appointments, the hospital has the potential to become Bihar’s largest eye care facility, benefiting thousands more patients across the state.
