State Bureau, Ranchi: Now, cataract surgeries using the phacoemulsification (phaco) method will be available in all district hospitals of Jharkhand. The state’s health department has approved the purchase of one phaco machine for the district hospitals of 20 districts. This includes all districts except Ranchi, Dumka, Palamu, and Hazaribagh, as these districts already have this facility in place.
The health department has provided administrative approval of ₹5.19 crore for this new scheme and has released funds to the respective districts. A maximum price for the machines has also been set.
The approval was granted based on the report of Ranchi’s civil surgeon, where the price of the machine purchased through MP funds was taken as the benchmark. Each machine has been approved for a cost of ₹25.94 lakh.
It is noteworthy that due to the lack of availability of these machines in the districts, eye surgeries were not possible. Patients had to rely on Ranchi or other cities for the procedure. Now, eye surgeries will be possible in these districts. Ophthalmologists have been appointed in these districts, and other human resources will be hired through outsourcing.
NABARD to provide ₹769 crore for irrigation projects in Palamu and Giridih
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has approved financial assistance of ₹769.58 crore under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund for the construction of two irrigation projects in Palamu and Giridih districts.
NABARD’s Chief General Manager, S.K. Jahangirdar, shared this information. Upon completion of the project, an additional 11,000 hectares of land will be irrigated in eight blocks of Palamu district through pipelines.
In Giridih, the mega lift irrigation project will benefit 165 out of 197 villages in the Peertand block, resulting in the development of 10,158 hectares of irrigated land.
These projects are expected to promote agricultural activities in these districts. The total financial assistance received by Jharkhand under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) during the financial year 2024-25 has reached ₹1,017 crore.
Jahangirdar added that since the establishment of RIDF, Jharkhand has received approximately ₹24,300 crore in assistance.
