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Bihar govt gripped in a state of indecision: HC
PATNA The Patna High Court Monday said the state’s health department was fighting the Covid battle without of help of experts in their respective fields and the hospitals were struggling without adequate supply of oxygen, important drugs and manpower
PATNA
The Patna High Court Monday said the state’s health department was fighting the Covid battle without of help of experts in their respective fields and the hospitals were struggling without adequate supply of oxygen, important drugs and manpower.
“It is like complete failure, as infection seems to be unabated. The government seems to be gripped in a state of indecision,” it said.
The court’s observation came after the director of the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, declared Covid hospital by the state government, said it had only 200 beds available, including 60 ICU beds, and it could not admit more patients due to irregular/short supply of oxygen cylinders and lack of required manpower.
The bench of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Mohit Kumar Shah observed that the situation was even worse at ESIC Hospital in Bihta after the authorities informed the court about the problems due to non-availability of medicines. “The doctors deputed there by the armed forces are virtually sitting idle. The government is not able to provide adequate support,” the court was informed.
Upset over wrong facts submitted before the court that IGIMS was fully converted into Covid hospital and ESIC had 500 beds, the bench said that what the state government had furnished before the court in the name of a comprehensive action could “by no means be treated as an action plan, let alone a comprehensive action plan”. “We had directed the state government to prepare a comprehensive action plan for Covid management on April 15 and since then we have been reiterating during every hearing, but to no avail,” it observed.
The court said that in the absence of an action plan, the system appeared to be moving aimlessly. “When the court wanted to know whether the state determined the quantity of oxygen it would require for treating Covid patients, it was informed that such determination is based on the number of patients in hospitals. This calculation is not displayed in the so-called action plan. We want a war room, comprising experts, to be developed to deal with the alarming situation,” it said.
The bench also took note of the black marketing of essential drugs and oxygen and said it would hear all the aspects again on Tuesday, including the composition of an experts’ group.
Advocate general Lalit Kishore, appearing for the state, told the court that if permitted, the state shall constitute a team of experts to advise the state government.
Additional advocate general Anjani Kumar informed the court that against the allocated quota of 194 MT of oxygen by the Centre, Bihar had lifted 134 MT.
“The state is facing unprecedented challenge, but a government hospital with less beds is raising demand for more oxygen, while others with more beds are struggling for it. The pace of RTPCR tests is also very slow and even slower is the supply of reports to the patients. The undertaking of the health department that the CT value will be displayed in all the RTPCR reports is also not fully honoured. It is a matter of serious concern for us, as it adversely affects treatment. The state must inform the court regarding development in this regard,” the court said.
The court had last week expressed displeasure over lack of a strong information system and directed the state’s principal secretary (health) to ensure that the information regarding Covid care centres and hospitals, with their respective addresses and phone numbers, are put on the website of the health department by Friday so that the people in need may approach appropriate centers/hospitals for Covid treatment.
