In a significant push to revamp its public healthcare system, the Jharkhand government has launched a comprehensive set of initiatives in 2025 aimed at strengthening medical education and infrastructure across the state. The plan addresses the chronic shortage of doctors and aims to improve access to quality medical services for its citizens.
Major Boost to Medical Education and Seats
The most immediate relief comes from the National Medical Commission (NMC) approving 100 new MBBS seats for two medical colleges in Jamshedpur. The state-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGMMCH) and the private Manipal Tata Medical College have each been permitted to add 50 seats. This increase raises MGMMCH's total intake to 150 and Manipal Tata Medical College's to 200 MBBS students annually.
Looking at long-term expansion, the Union health ministry has given in-principle approval to upgrade six existing district (sadar) hospitals into medical college hospitals. This transformation is planned under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, which could rapidly enhance medical education facilities in underserved regions.
Institutional Expansion and a New University
A cornerstone of the infrastructure upgrade is the green signal for a second campus of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. To be constructed on a 122-acre plot on the city's outskirts at a cost of Rs 1,074 crore, the new campus will feature a 700-bed hospital, including 250 beds for super-speciality care. It will also offer 150 undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats.
"The expansion will significantly reduce patient load at the existing RIMS campus and improve access to advanced healthcare services," stated Ajoy Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of the state health department.
Furthermore, the state is preparing to establish Jharkhand's first medical university in Ranchi's Brambe area. Chief Minister Hemant Soren is expected to lay its foundation stone next month. This university is envisioned to centralize and streamline medical college registration, faculty appointments, examinations, and academic governance, bringing greater uniformity and transparency to the sector.
Persisting Challenges and Systemic Gaps
Despite these proactive measures, critical gaps in the healthcare system were starkly highlighted in 2025. The state's blood transfusion infrastructure faced intense scrutiny after five children with thalassemia tested positive for HIV following blood transfusions in Chaibasa, West Singhbhum. This incident exposed serious lapses in blood safety protocols. The district currently has 515 HIV-positive cases and 56 thalassemia patients.
Emergency medical response remains another area of concern. While ambulance services are frequently promoted, operational issues like slow response times, inadequate staffing, and poor coordination continue to affect outcomes, especially in rural and remote areas. Of the health department's fleet of 510 ambulances, only 430 are operational, with 57 currently out of service for repairs.
To address managerial shortcomings, the health department is also working on a plan to appoint around 150 trained hospital managers across government hospitals in the state, aiming to improve administrative efficiency and service delivery.
