PATNA, June 17 -- The Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), Bihar's oldest and one of its largest government healthcare institutions, will become the first state-run medical college hospital in the state to have an independent spine sub-speciality unit under its orthopaedics department, officials said on Tuesday, adding this follows state cabinet's approval on May 27 to create 39 posts for the facility. Officials said the move aims to address the rising burden of trauma and spinal disorders, particularly injuries resulting from road accidents. The specialised unit at PMCH, which is being redeveloped into a 5,462-bed hospital - set to become the country's largest medical college hospital - will offer advanced procedures such as minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS), endoscopic spine surgery, correction of spinal deformities including scoliosis, and treatment of spinal tumours and tuberculosis-related spine conditions. Two posts each of professor and associate professor, four each of assistant professor and senior resident doctors, 24 staff nurses, two operation theatre assistants and one upper division clerk have been sanctioned for the spine sub-speciality unit, according to a May 29 communication from health department joint secretary Dinesh Kumar Jha to accountant general, Bihar. Additional support personnel like computer operators will be engaged through outsourcing, as needed, the letter said. The annual financial outlay for the new posts is estimated at Rs.2.46 crore, excluding allowances, and will be borne by the state government. Officials said the dedicated spine unit will significantly strengthen PMCH's capacity to provide specialised orthopaedic and neurosurgical care while advancing Bihar's efforts to build world-class tertiary healthcare infrastructure....