- By Kamakshi Bishnoi
- Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:06 PM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
In a move to strengthen critical care services, the Jharkhand government will establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the admission, discharge, and referral of patients in both government and private hospitals. The decision follows an order from the Supreme Court directing all states to prepare uniform protocols for ICU and CCU management.
The draft SOP was discussed on Thursday at a regional conference on medical management in ICUs/CCUs held at Hotel BNR. Experts, civil surgeons, and representatives from private hospitals provided suggestions. The state government is required to finalise and submit the SOP by November 18.
Addressing the conference, Dr Neha Arora, Special Secretary of the Health Department and Executive Director of Jharkhand Arogya Society, said the initiative aims to strengthen critical care across community health centres, district hospitals, and medical colleges. Community health centres and district hospitals will no longer serve merely as referral centres but will be equipped to stabilise critically ill patients, reducing the burden on medical colleges like RIMS.
Shashi Prakash Jha, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Jharkhand, emphasised that the focus is on efficient management and utilisation of resources. “Our goal is that no patient should lose their life due to lack of facilities or ventilators,” he said.
Dr Siddharth Sanyal, Director-in-Chief of Health Services, highlighted the importance of a uniform ICU and discharge protocol to ensure standardised patient care across all hospitals. Currently, ICU facilities exist in the state’s five medical colleges, and plans are underway to extend them to all district hospitals.
Dr Pradeep Bhattacharya, Head of the Critical Care Department at RIMS and member of the national committee preparing the SOP, noted that many doctors lack critical care awareness. The draft SOP aims to strengthen the state’s critical care network. DNB courses in critical care are already being conducted at RIMS, one of the few colleges offering such training. He added that Jharkhand could become a model state in critical care management within two to three years.
-Tele-ICU networking and 24/7 expert guidance should be implemented in hospitals – Dr Saurabh Saigal, AIIMS, Bhopal
-Integrated trauma and critical care protocols must be applied in all hospitals to save critically ill patients – Dr Sanjeev Kumar, IGIMS, Patna
-Immediate treatment per SOP followed by referral will reduce patient risk and save lives – Dr Vikram Gupta, BHU, Varanasi