News Analysis India

Tag: Bihar covid

  • No contact details found for 8,000 people tested for COVID-19 in Bihar

    Express News Service
    PATNA: After landing in a row over doctored COVID-19 death count, Bihar has now reported fudging in testing figures. At many health centres in Muzaffarpur district, the numbers have been found to be inflated, prompting the government to launch a probe. 

    At a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Bochhaha, 3,550 rapid antigen test (RAT) kits were supplied by the government between March 1 and May 31, but the number of tests carried out in the same period was recorded to be 6,470.

    Similarly, 5,500 RAT kits were provided to the Saraiya Community Health Centre (CHC) between March 1 and May 31, but official records showed 6,581 persons had been tested. The irregularities continued at the Saraiya PHC also, where a total of 8,250 kits were supplied but the number of people tested was recorded to be 8,755.

    At Motipur CHC, only 7,400 RAT kits were supplied but records showed that a total of 8,325 people were tested while Muraul CHC received 7,875 test kits but 8,325 tests were shown to be carried out in official records. At Sakara Referral Hospital, a total number of 8,450 kits were supplied but 8,668 people were shown to have undergone the rapid antigen test.

    The irregularities were detected when many people received messages of negative test reports on their mobile phones though they had not gone for testing. Interestingly, the data sheets at 18 CHCs and PHCs showed the entry in the column for mobile phone numbers against 8,231 people as ‘0000000000’.

    The initial probe confirmed the irregularities. Muzaffarpur DM Pranab Kumar could not be contacted butthe spokesperson for the district administration, Kamal Kumar, said an FIR had been lodged against the guilty health officials and investigation was still on to ascertain the reasons behind fudging the data.

  • Bihar govt seeks help of doctors from armed forces to run COVID hospital

    Express News Service
    PATNA: Amid a shortage of doctors and beds in various Patna-based hospitals owing to the rising COVID-19 cases, the state government, on Monday, sought the help of doctors from the Armed Medical Services of the Indian Army to run hospitals. 

    The requisition for doctors was sent to the Defence Secretary in the backdrop of a shortage of beds emerging in many hospitals in Patna.

    According to sources from the health department, all the 115 beds at AIIMS were occupied with COVID-19 patients, while out of the 112 beds in PMCH, more than 90% beds are being occupied by COVID positive patients.

    And at the NMCH, out of the existing strength of 100 beds, more than 90% beds are filled with patients infected by Coronavirus.

    Confirming this, principal health secretary Pratyay Amrit said that the requisition for 50 doctors was sent to the secretary of defence in New Delhi.

    “The doctors from the armed forces medical services have been sought to take care of the 500-bed ESI hospital at Bihta,” he said.

    He said that all arrangements are being made by the health department to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic in the state.

    On Wednesday, the situation turned worse with 4786 more positive cases reported taking the total count of active case to 23724.

    Bihar’s four IAS officers including principal secretary of Home Chaitnaya Prasad and principal secretary of finance department S Siddhartha are among those who tested positive for the virus.

    Chaitanya Prasad is admitted at AIIMS while other infected IAS officers are under home isolation. So far, more than dozens of bureaucrats including police officers and 50 doctors have been infected with the virus. 

    Nitish Kumar’s Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahani along with one of his security guards was also found to be COVID-positive.