India, May 14 -- PATNA The Bihar health department has planned mandatory intensive care unit (ICU) nurse training, tele-ICU hubs, GPS mapping of hospitals and stricter staffing norms to strengthen intensive care services across the state. The action was taken in line with an expert consultation following the Supreme Court's latest guidelines, officials said on Thursday.

The experts identified five key manpower priorities, led by mandatory induction training for all ICU nurses before deployment. The Bihar Nursing Council will prepare a skill-based training roadmap, while nursing curricula are proposed to be upgraded to better equip graduates to manage critically ill patients.

The health department also proposed a statewide ICU specialist...