Bihar Health Services Association (BHSA) has asked the state government to improve infrastructure at government hospitals.

Association members made the demand at its executive body meeting at the Indian Medical Association premises on Sunday.

They also asked for two air ambulances for the health department to help transfer patients to hospitals outside the state. Other demands floated at the meeting include increase in the number of beds at Patna Medical College and Hospital and other state-run medical college hospitals and filling up of vacant posts of specialists.

'We are thankful to the state government for fulfilling some of our demands, but BHSA would fight for demands that have not been fulfilled by the state government. The infrastructure at government hospitals is very poor. BHSA has been advocating infrastructure improvement at government hospitals in the state, but nothing concrete has come up in this regard yet. Another demand not fulfilled by the state government involves filling up many posts of specialists at government hospitals that are still lying vacant. At present, around 2,400 specialists work in state-run hospitals against 11,000 posts. The state government needs to address all these issues,' said Dr Ajay Kumar, general secretary, BHSA.

BHSA spokesperson Dr Ranjit Kumar said the association had submitted its charter of demands to principal secretary, health, Brajesh Mehrotra, on December 4.

'BHSA has for long been demanding Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) for doctors working in state-run hospitals on the lines of those working in central government health institutions. The state government made an agreement with BHSA regarding this in 2008 and 2013, but has forgotten to implement it. Doctors working in state-run health institutions get 3 DACPS while their counterparts working in central government health institutions get 4 DACPS. There is a huge disparity in this regard,' Kumar said.

Besides, Kumar said: 'The state government should also introduce Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) scheme in government hospitals. Doctors of state-run hospitals were given its benefits from April 2000 to February 2001. Later, NPA system was abolished but BHSA wants re-introduction of this scheme in state-run hospitals. More than 22 states are providing non-practicing allowance to doctors. So the state government should also provide its benefits to doctors working in state-run hospitals. Introduction of rural allowance is another demand of BHSA. It would help strengthen the state's rural healthcare system.'

Kumar said Sunday's executive committee meeting of BHSA also decided that the general body meeting of the association would take place at Rabindra Bhavan on April 5 next year. 'The new office bearers would be selected in the general body's meeting,' he said.