Patna

Nitish Kumar on Wednesday handed over appointment letters to close to 5,000 women recruited as auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) by the state Health Department, marking a significant addition to Bihar’s rural healthcare workforce.

A total of 4,954 ANMs received their appointment letters at a function held in Patna. The event was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and Health Minister Mangal Pandey.

Speaking on the occasion, Pandey said the recruitment was aimed at strengthening health sub-centres across the state. He noted that Bihar currently has around 14,600 such facilities, including Ayushman Arogya Kendras, which serve as primary points of care in villages and panchayats.

“These sub-centres are a reflection of the government’s efforts to enhance healthcare infrastructure in rural areas,” he said. The minister added that approximately 20,000 personnel have been recruited by the department over the past year, highlighting both improvements in the health sector and the government’s focus on employment generation.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav criticised the move, alleging that the ruling NDA government was overlooking the contributions made during his tenure as deputy chief minister, when he also held the health portfolio.

In a social media post, Yadav shared a video purportedly showing an elderly woman being transported on a scooter due to the absence of basic facilities like a wheelchair at a government health centre. He accused the administration of neglect and alleged links with “brokers and medical mafias.”

He argued that infrastructure alone does not define a functional hospital, stressing that the presence of doctors, trained staff, and essential amenities is equally crucial. Yadav, however, did not specify the location where the video was recorded.