PATNA, April 3 -- Health facilities across Bihar, both government-run and private, will soon be required to prominently display boards stating that medical treatment for acid attack victims is provided free of cost, senior health officials said. The Bihar health department is set to issue a formal order directing civil surgeons to ensure strict compliance with the directive. They will also be tasked with monitoring hospitals to confirm that acid attack survivors receive free treatment without exception. Bihar health secretary Lokesh Kumar Singh said the move reinforces an earlier 2015 order mandating free treatment for such victims. "Officials have been asked to ensure compliance with the existing provisions and to make certain that hospitals prominently display boards informing victims of acid attack about their entitlement to free treatment," he said on the sidelines of a government programme on Wednesday. The initiative follows concerns raised by Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad of the Patna high court, who recently called for greater transparency in implementing the provision. Speaking at an awareness programme organised by the Bihar State Legal Services Authority at Patna's Urja auditorium on March 29, the judge observed that he had not seen any hospital displaying such information. He stressed that clearly displaying these rights is essential to ensure victims are aware of and can access the benefits guaranteed to them, noting that similar provisions exist for victims of other serious crimes against women. Highlighting the urgency of effective implementation, social welfare department secretary Bandana Preyashi cited National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showing a rising trend in acid attacks in the state - 176 cases in 2021, 202 in 2022, and 207 in 2023. She said a dedicated helpline (181) is operational and that the department is running rehabilitation programmes, including counselling and vocational training, to support acid attack survivors. The right to free medical treatment for acid attack victims originates from the landmark Laxmi vs Union of India case of 2006. In a series of directions issued in 2013, the Supreme Court mandated that all hospitals - public and private - must provide immediate and comprehensive treatment to acid attack survivors free of cost. These directions specify that treatment must include first aid, emergency care, surgeries, and medicines, and that no hospital can refuse care on any grounds, including lack of facilities. The financial responsibility for such treatment lies with the state. The provisions were subsequently strengthened through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 and related legal frameworks. The apex court has also made it clear that denying treatment to acid attack victims could invite legal action against erring hospitals....