Ranchi, Nov 4: Prioritizing the health of adolescent girls while opting for a scientific and cautious approach, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday directed the formation of an expert committee and a statewide survey before taking any final call on introducing the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination against cervical cancer in the state.
Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Health Department at the Jharkhand Secretariat, the Chief Minister instructed officials to consult renowned cancer specialists, directors of premier medical institutions, and experts from India and abroad. The proposed statewide survey will gather comprehensive data on active cervical cancer cases, age demographics, and disease stages to help form a detailed scientific report. Emphasizing that cervical cancer—which currently registers an estimated incidence of 13 per 100,000 population in Jharkhand—remains a major health challenge, Soren stressed the importance of launching public awareness campaigns to prevent misconceptions while simultaneously upgrading routine screening infrastructure, such as Pap smear and HPV DNA tests, across district hospitals and Community Health Centers.
Beyond cancer prevention strategies, the review meeting focused heavily on expanding tertiary care and medical education in the state, particularly at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi. The government discussed a major proposal to restructure 319 sanctioned posts of medical teachers at RIMS, which includes creating seven super-specialty and three broad-specialty departments alongside 16 new faculty positions. Under the proposed faculty rationalization, RIMS will adjust its academic cadremix, setting the strength of Professors at 42 and expanding the number of Additional Professors from 9 to 42, aiming to significantly strengthen specialized healthcare delivery, medical seats, and overall hospital administration across government medical institutions.
