President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday urged the development of more specialised medical institutions in Bihar to ease the suffering of the people who were forced to go outside the state for better healthcare facilities.

Speaking as the chief guest at the centenary celebrations of the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), Murmu pointed out that doctors of Bihar were previously famous across the country and outside and patients would come to the state for treatment.

“However, good doctors migrated from here in the intervening period because of which people are forced to go outside the state to avail quality medical treatment. This leads to several problems related to delay in therapy, accommodation and food,” Murmu said.

The President pointed out that such a situation not only negatively impacts the employment of the family members of the patients, but also increases the burden on medical institutions in the bigger cities.

She advocated for decentralization as a remedy for the problem and stressed that cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Indore have developed as centres of “speciality treatment”.

“There is a need to develop several such centres in Bihar. This will not only provide better medical facilities to the people here, but also aid the economy of the state,” Murmu said.

The President suggested that the former students of the PMCH could lend a hand in this endeavour through their experience and bring back the lost glory of Bihar. She also expressed happiness over the state government’s efforts to improve the health infrastructure in the past few years.