Bettiah, West Champaran: The Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah is set to introduce new medical services from November, raising hopes for improved patient care. According to Hospital Superintendent Dr. Anil Kumar, a Psychiatry Department and a Surgery ICU will commence operations in November. Additionally, five new ICU beds and five PCU (Pediatric Critical Care Unit) beds will be made functional.

Alongside the expansion of these new facilities, preparations are underway to deploy 188 General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) staff to strengthen nursing services. However, only 20 percent of the new GNMs have reported for duty so far. The deployment of GNM staff is expected to alleviate the workload on patient care and nursing services in the hospital, which is crucial for the smooth operation of the new medical departments.

Currently, GMCH operates a 12-bed ICU, but with the increasing number of critically ill patients, there are plans to expand its capacity to 24 beds. A shortage of nursing staff has been a major hindrance to ICU expansion, a challenge that the appointment of 188 GNMs is expected to address. The launch of these facilities will enable the hospital to provide high-quality treatment to critically ill patients. The hospital administration is committed to ensuring these new services are operational on schedule to benefit patients.