Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 21
Bihar hospitals are facing an acute shortage of beds and oxygen cylinders and now the pulse oximeter too has become scarce for the COVID patients. Those in home isolation need an oximeter.
Reports received from Muzaffarpur, 80 kms from here,druggists in Kalambagh and Gunnypur markets are selling oximeter in black. Till last week, it was available for Rs 500 to Rs 1000,now they are charging between Rs 3000 and Rs 3500 claiming demand has increased and there was no replenishment from the wholesalers.
Manoj Kumar, special secretary of health, while talking to media persons through video conference today said the state government has requested the union health ministry to rush 72 MT of liquid oxygen to meet the growing demands in the COVID dedicated hospitals.
In the last 24 hours, over 1200- fresh COVID-19 positive cases have been reported in Bihar. Corona virus has affected working in the premier hospitals like AIIMS, Patna, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna Medical College Hospital, Nalanda Medical College hospitals run by the union and state governments. Dr P K Singh, Director of AIIMS has informed Patna High Court which is monitoring conditions in Patna hospitals that 248 doctors in AIIMS are hit by the virus. They had taken the two doses of Vaccines too.
In PMCH, principal and deputy superintendent are out of duties as they have preferred home quarantine. In PMCH, 60 doctors, in IGIMS 30 and in NMCH,22 doctors are Covid patients. According to official figures, 362 para medical staff, including nurses and lab technicians are also out of rosters due to Corona.
There is a long wait for results of samples collected from the suspected Corona patients at Rajendra Institute of Medical research here. Over 32000 samples are pending and the waiting list is for five to six days to know the result of RTPCR tests.
Doctors of the AIIMS today submitted a memorandum to the director seeking rotational quarantine for the ailing doctors. They have given an ultimatum of five days failing which they threatened they would go on strike. They regretted that their relatives too were not able to get beds in the hospital.
Meanwhile, a survey conducted in 30 private hospitals in the state capital on Wednesday revealed no bed was available for the COVID-19 patients for them. Even the magistrates deputed by the district administration admitted there was an acute shortage. One of the magistrates said he himself was Corona positive, but could not get a bed in the hospital and went for home quarantine. A member of Bihar State Bar Council, Shashishekhar Kishore died in PMCH here. His relatives complained no oxygen cylinder was made available on his bed.
A young BDO, Rahul Kumar, posted at Noorsarai in Nalanda district too died of Corona as he was made to shuttle between three hospitals in Patna.
Former education minister and senior JDU legislator Mewa Lal Chaudhury was also denied beds in three government hospitals here and when he was admitted in a private hospital on the instruction of the district magistrate of Patna it proved too late for him and he died unattended.
According to the figures available with the government agencies, the young patients were becoming major casualties of Corona in the last one week. In Bhagalpur, 22 patients were in the age group of 20 and 40 years. In IGIMS too, more young men and women are dying compared to the senior citizens.
Meanwhile, district magistrates on Wednesday told the chief minister, Nitish Kumar that conducting panchayati elections may not be possible for them as they were neck deep in Corona crisis .They were talking to Nitish Kumar through video conference. Panchayat elections are due this month in the state as the present term of the three-tier panchayati raj organisations would end by June 15.
Four armed youths on Wednesday evening looted four oxygen cylinders from the Ara Sadar hospital, 50 kms from here. According to an FIR lodged with Ara police, four youths came on motorcycles and looted four oxygen cylinders. They were carrying firearms and threatened hospital staff. This is the first case of oxygen cylinder loot in Bihar.
Now, bouncers are guarding the Oxygen cylinders on transport from suppliers to hospitals at Patna.
