Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag plans to shift all outpatient department services from the sadar hospital campus to its medical college campus by January 2027, alongside efforts to restore a non-functional C-Arm machine and strengthen specialist availability at its trauma centre.
The plans were discussed during a meeting between college principal Dr Sunil Kumar Verma and Ranjan Choudhary, who represented MP Manish Jaiswal. Dr Verma said the under-construction OPD building was expected to be handed over by the end of December. If the construction schedule remains on track, all OPD services will move to the new building on the medical college campus the following month.
The shift is intended to consolidate outpatient care at the medical college campus after services currently operating from the upgraded sadar hospital campus are relocated. The report did not specify the capacity of the new building, the number of departments that will move, or the arrangements for patients during the transition.
The hospital is also working to restore the C-Arm machine used by the orthopaedic department. 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 implants. Dr Verma said the machine had remained out of service for more than a month, affecting orthopaedic surgeries.
He added that the process of procuring an additional C-Arm machine was under way. The report did not provide the estimated cost, procurement agency, expected delivery date or details of the tendering process. Until the existing equipment is restored or a replacement becomes operational, the availability of orthopaedic procedures could remain linked to the hospital’s functioning imaging capacity.
The hospital also plans to improve emergency care by ensuring round-the-clock availability of senior physicians and surgeons at the trauma centre. According to Dr Verma, the objective is to reduce referrals of critically injured patients to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences in Ranchi.
For patients in Hazaribag, the proposed changes involve both the physical organisation of care and the hospital’s ability to provide specialised treatment locally. Moving OPD services to a dedicated medical college building could bring outpatient departments together on one campus, while the trauma-centre staffing plan is aimed at reducing dependence on referrals for critical cases. However, the effectiveness of these measures will depend on the building being completed, equipment being restored or procured, and senior specialists being available continuously.
Dr Verma said the priority was to ensure that patients visiting Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital received timely and quality treatment without unnecessary difficulties. The next stated milestone is the expected handover of the OPD building by the end of December, followed by the planned relocation of services in January 2027.
