Bihar Agriculture Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the state must strive to become so healthy that hospitals and medical colleges are not left without patients to treat.
Speaking at a recent public event, Sinha said: “Our mission must be to make the health of the people of Bihar – and the country – so good that we no longer need medical colleges and hospitals.”
“This is a decision we can take. The soil of Bihar has this ability. It is a land of knowledge, a land of science and a land rich in cultural heritage,” he added.
Later, Sinha shared a clip of his speech on X, including his remarks.
Notes on Covid and nature
Sinha also spoke about the Covid-19 pandemic, linking people’s lifestyles and their experiences during the health crisis.
“During the Covid-19 period, those who lived in the lap of nature, close to nature, nurtured Mother Earth with their hard work and sweat in the spirit of purity and reverence, remained safe. On the other hand, people who remained confined in air-conditioned rooms or lived away from nature fell victim to that period and lost their lives,” he said.
Health challenges in Bihar
These statements come at a time when the state of Bihar is still facing major challenges in the field of public health, despite the improvement in some indicators in recent years.
According to the NITI Aayog State Health Index, Bihar is consistently ranked at or near last among India’s largest states, and typically ranks last. The state has long suffered from high infant mortality rates, low life expectancy at birth, and a shortage of healthcare infrastructure and medical personnel.
Meanwhile, Bihar recorded progress in selected areas, including improvements in full immunization coverage and a reduction in the number of low-birth-weight babies.
