Ruchir Kumar
Ruchir writes on health, aviation, power and myriad other issues. An ex-TOI, he has worked both on Desk and in reporting. He over 25 years of broadcast and print journalism experience in Assam, Jharkhand & Bihar.
Articles by Ruchir Kumar
Vistara flight bird hit before landing in Patna, all passengers safe
By Ruchir Kumar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 23, 2021 06:24 PM IST
- The aircraft, which developed a technical fault, was delayed by over six hours on its return. All 151 outgoing passengers to Bengaluru were stranded at the airport because of the delay.
Duplication, missing names of health workers on CoWIN add to concerns in Bihar
By Ruchir Kumar | Edited by Sohini Sarkar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 22, 2021 10:29 PM IST
- The Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) claimed there was duplication in names of its HCWs generated through the portal on Thursday.
Vaccination percentage rises in Bihar after govt allows on-the-spot shots
By Ruchir Kumar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 21, 2021 10:08 PM IST
- The government has allowed on-the-spot administration of the vaccine from among the beneficiaries already enrolled on the Covid-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) portal, if those listed at a vaccination centre for the day did not turn up.
Names of 800 healthcare workers go missing from Co-WIN portal in Bihar
By Ruchir Kumar
UPDATED ON JAN 21, 2021 09:38 PM IST
- The NMCH administration claimed it had sent the list of nearly 800 health care workers and 1,400 hospital staff to Patna civil surgeon last December, but names of those from the in medical college were missing from the Co-Win portal
Bihar power plant mulls temporary closure after staff held hostage by villagers
By Ruchir Kumar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay, Patna
PUBLISHED ON JAN 20, 2021 03:25 PM IST
- Bihar would be deprived of 150 MW power if the NTPC were to shut down its BTPS plant.
Glitches in Co-WIN portal leads to drop in Covid vaccination percentage in Bihar
By Ruchir Kumar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 18, 2021 10:44 PM IST
- Vaccination officers complained that the Co-WIN portal was slow in responding that made uploading information on it time consuming and tedious.
62% turnout on day 1 of vaccination drive in Bihar, tepid response to Covaxin
By Ruchir Kumar, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 16, 2021 11:46 PM IST
- As many as 18,122 beneficiaries out of a target of 29,240 across 301 session sites got the first dose of the vaccine in Bihar on Saturday.
'Don’t fear, it’s safe,' says sanitary staff who gets first vaccine jab in Bihar
By Ruchir Kumar, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 16, 2021 08:32 PM IST
- 35-year-old Babu was the first to receive the jab among 4.64 lakh healthcare workers in Bihar on Saturday.
Sanitation worker, driver to be first in Bihar to get Covid-19 vaccine
By Ruchir Kumar, Patna
PUBLISHED ON JAN 15, 2021 10:37 PM IST
- Amit Kumar, an ambulance driver at the IGIMS, would be the second to be vaccinated.
Take precautions even after Covid vaccine: Bihar govt tells health workers
By Ruchir Kumar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 13, 2021 09:45 AM IST
Precautions are necessary as it takes 14 days after the second shot of the vaccine to develop protective antibody, said top health officials
First consignment of 54,900 vials of Covid-19 vaccine reaches Patna
By Ruchir Kumar
PUBLISHED ON JAN 12, 2021 10:49 PM IST
- Bihar has enrolled around 10 lakh beneficiaries for the first two phases of vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers.
Covid-19 vaccination centres in Bihar to have webcast facility
By Ruchir Kumar, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 12, 2021 12:08 AM IST
- The arrangement has to be done for monitoring purpose at government session sites which are vaccination centres.
Bihar ready to vaccinate over 4 lakh healthcare workers against Covid-19
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 08, 2021 11:00 PM IST
The dry-run on Friday, to assess the state’s preparedness, was successfully carried out across 114 locations.
AIIMS Patna mulls to introduce BSc paramedical academic courses
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON JAN 08, 2021 10:11 AM IST
The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, is mulling to commence B.Sc paramedical academic courses in three disciplines and one-year post doctor certificate courses (PDCC) in 12 other disciplines from the session beginning July this year.
Covid-19 vaccination: Bihar prepares for state-wide dry run on January 8
By Ruchir Kumar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 07, 2021 08:58 AM IST
Vaccinators are required to verify each beneficiary’s identity, approve the vaccination before completing the vaccination process using the CoWIN mobile app, which is updated on a real-time basis.
BJP lawmaker takes part in Covaxin trial in Patna
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 06, 2021 10:35 AM IST
Sanjiv Chaurasia will be administered the second trial dose after 28 days; he said he hoped his action will dispel the doubts over the reliability of the indigenous vaccine
New MBBS syllabus at AIIMS Patna to focus on early patient interface
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2021 04:04 PM IST
Medicos will now have public interface with patients in the first year of MBBS course itself as compared to third year earlier, said Dr Umesh Bhadani, the dean of AIIMS-Patna who drove the change in undergraduate curriculum at the institute.
Bihar health dept seeks police aid to locate missing UK returnees to check new Covid-19 strain
By Ruchir Kumar | Edited by Sohini Sarkar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 03, 2021 07:39 PM IST
The decision to seek police help was taken after state health officials could not trace 45 passengers, who could not be reached on the contact numbers and addresses provided through the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA). In some cases, they had left their destinations and either returned or travelled to other locations, said health officials.
3 sites in Bihar identified for Covid-19 vaccination dry run
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON JAN 01, 2021 04:23 PM IST
Text messages will be sent out on mobile phones of the beneficiaries, which would guide them about the vaccination process and also remind them of the second shot after the first has been administered to them.
Bihar: 45 UK returnees untraceable, 101 test negative for new Covid strain
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON JAN 01, 2021 09:04 AM IST
The ministry of civil aviation had sent the state a list of 226 passengers who reached Bihar between November 21 and December 21. At least 96 of these passengers are believed to be from Patna
Bihar junior doctors go on strike demanding raise in stipend
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON DEC 23, 2020 03:14 PM IST
The striking junior doctors claim that government, while revising their stipends on May 9, 2017, had agreed for a revision every three years but has not acted on it yet despite the doctors being at the forefront of the fight against coronavirus.
Bihar taps private sector to add Covid vaccinators
By Ruchir Kumar | Edited by Abhinav Sahay | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON DEC 04, 2020 03:43 PM IST
Bihar has around 15,000 vaccinators, with auxiliary nursing midwives (ANMs) comprising more than 50% of them
Bihar caps cost of Covid RT-PCR test at Rs 800, down from Rs 1,500
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON DEC 02, 2020 07:02 PM IST
It also brought down the rate of rapid antigen detection tests to Rs 250. Both, RT-PCR and rapid antigen tests are used to detect Covid-19.
NMC member writes to chief, criticises nod to Ayurveda doctors to perform surgeries
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON DEC 01, 2020 08:29 AM IST
In his letter dated November 28, released to the media on Monday by the Bihar chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr Singh urged Dr Sharma to “consider the gravity of the matter and rectify the above decision”.
Covid-19: Patna AIIMS to enrol 1,000 volunteers for Covaxin phase 3 trial
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 30, 2020 04:35 PM IST
The trial is a randomised double-blind placebo control trial, in which half the volunteers will be administered the vaccine and the other half will be given a placebo
Curbs back in Bihar as Covid case positivity rate goes up
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 26, 2020 09:47 PM IST
The curbs, which came into effect with immediate effect Thursday, will be effective till December 3.
Bihar to form block-level task force for Covid-19 vaccination drive
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
PUBLISHED ON NOV 26, 2020 09:19 AM IST
The health department in Bihar will be setting up booths at block level for administering the Covid-19 vaccine.
Bihar to ramp up Covid-19 testing, intensify checking for masks, penalize defaulters
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 25, 2020 12:46 AM IST
Bihar chief secretary Deepak Kumar on Monday asked the district magistrates and the superintendents of police to ramp up testing of samples and undertake special drives in their respective districts to check for masks at public places.
Covid-19: Bihar to intensify drive against those not wearing masks
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 24, 2020 11:01 AM IST
Those in private and commercial vehicles will be checked for masks and will also be subjected to Covid test, said officials
Bihar grapples with rising cases of post-Covid complications
By Ruchir Kumar | Hindustan Times, Patna
UPDATED ON NOV 19, 2020 08:03 PM IST
Between September 25 and November 9, almost a hundred former Covid-19 patients returned to AIIMS-Patna complaining of shortness of breath, cough, weakness and fever.