Patna, May 14 (IANS) A high-level review meeting was held in Darbhanga on Thursday under the chairmanship of Samrat Choudhary, focusing on major infrastructure and healthcare projects in the region.

Key projects under review included the expansion of Darbhanga Airport, the redevelopment of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), and the construction of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Darbhanga.

The meeting, held at Darbhanga Airport, began with a detailed presentation by the Airport Director.

Updates were shared on the proposed new terminal building, road connectivity, passenger amenities, and infrastructure components, including the powerhouse and air conditioning plant.

Rajnish Mishra, Deputy Director of AIIMS Darbhanga, presented a comprehensive report on the progress of the under-construction institute.

He briefed the Chief Minister on land acquisition, civil works, site planning, and road connectivity, including proposed road widening.

Infrastructure provisions such as the planned ring bund, drinking water supply, and electricity connections were also discussed in detail.

Subsequently, Health Department Secretary Kumar Ravi gave an extensive presentation on the redevelopment of DMCH.

He informed that the enrollment process for 250 students at the Laheriasarai campus is currently underway, while work on the redevelopment of the 1,700-bed hospital is progressing rapidly.

Local public representatives also attended the meeting and raised key concerns regarding the three projects.

After reviewing the progress and hearing from stakeholders, the Chief Minister issued several important directives.

He stressed that all prescribed standards for upgrading Darbhanga Airport to international status must be strictly adhered to and thoroughly discussed at the upcoming meeting with the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

“Keeping in mind the prescribed standards for upgrading Darbhanga Airport to an international facility, ensure that these standards are discussed in detail during the upcoming meeting with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India,” said Samrat Choudhary, Chief Minister, Bihar.

He also instructed officials to make night landing facilities operational at the airport at the earliest.

Emphasizing urgency, he directed that the construction of AIIMS Darbhanga be expedited and that any bottlenecks be resolved immediately.

On the healthcare front, the Chief Minister ordered that the redevelopment of DMCH be accelerated while maintaining the highest quality standards.

He noted that, with both the DMCH renovation and AIIMS construction underway, special focus must be placed on improving public healthcare services.

In a significant policy push, Choudhary announced that the practice of referring patients to other facilities must be eliminated.

He directed officials to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to curb what he termed the “referral culture” in Bihar’s healthcare system.

Additionally, he emphasized ensuring easy accessibility of medical services at the Darbhanga Super Specialty Hospital.

The meeting was attended by Madan Sahani, Minister of Prohibition, Excise and Registration, and Dr. Ramchandra Prasad, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, among other senior officials.

–IANS

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