PATNA, July 9 -- The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) will start surgery by robots and a 20-bed dialysis unit by August 16, said Bihar's health minister Mangal Pandey while inaugurating new services at the institute on Tuesday, according to a press release issued by his office. Pandey said a 100-bed dental hospital and a 50-seat dental college will also be established at the IGIMS, the release added. A 24-hour emergency with advanced ultrasound, X-ray facilities and eye examination equipment, and two state-of-the-art modular operation theatres were among the new services the minister inaugurated at the regional institute of ophthalmology (RIO), headed by Prof Bibhuti Prassan Sinha. The new services aim to strengthen tertiary eye care and ensure quicker diagnosis and treatment for patients. The minister also inaugurated an advanced Lumera-eye microscope, a high-end surgical microscope used in ophthalmology, particularly for cataract and refractive surgery. The minister also formally inaugurated retina and glaucoma services. An additional field analyzer, specular microscope, and ultrasound machine were also inaugurated as part of the glaucoma services at the institute, said the release. He also inaugurated a diagnostic laboratory, equipped with a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, biochemical analyzer, and arterial blood gas (ABG) machine to analyze blood samples to assess a patient's respiratory and metabolic status by measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had inaugurated the RIO in September 2024....