Union Minister urges Bihar health minister to increase dedicated COVID-19 hospitals

As on Sunday, the state witnessed total positive cases at 26,379

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urged Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey to increase the number of dedicated hospitals for COVID-19 patients amid spiralling coronavirus cases in the state.

Prasad also asked the state government to take an initiative for starting treatment of COVID-19 patients in prominent private hospitals of the state capital as it would help reduce the pressure on government-run facilities in tackling coronavirus cases.

“It is necessary to increase the number of dedicated hospitals to treat Coronavirus patients,” the Union minister and Patna Sahib MP said.

At present, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), Patna, AIIMS, Patna, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur and Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital, Gaya are the four dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in the state. Meanwhile, the number of total positive cases in the state stood at 26,379 on Sunday. At present, there are 9,602 active cases.

The Union minister held a telephonic meeting to review the situation given the rising number of Coronavirus cases in the state capital. He had a detailed discussion with Health minister Mangal Pandey, Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, AIIMS Patna director and Patna district magistrate.

Considering the huge rush of patients to AIIMS, Patna, Prasad asked the officials to increase the number of beds besides expanding the capacity of the ICU at the premier hospital.

The Union minister also said that the ESI hospital at Bihta in Patna district should be developed at the earliest for treatment of COVID-19 cases.

The health minister and chief secretary were also urged to ensure that there was no shortage of doctors, and medical supplies for treating coronavirus patients.