PATNA
The Patna High Court has directed the Union government and ministry of health and family welfare to take all possible measures to ensure Bihar gets 194 metric tonnes (MTs) of oxygen per day as per the quota fixed for the state and that it should not remain on papers only.
“There is requirement of continuous supply of oxygen. In our opinion, any discontinuity shall lead to virtual collapse of the health care system. From the material available on record, shortage of medical oxygen in the state is acute and it is obligatory for the Centre and the state government to ensure that the state’s quota of 194 MTs of liquid medical oxygen, as allocated by the Central government, reaches its destination physically,” the bench of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Mohit Kumar Shah observed Wednesday evening.
The bench also rejected Bihar government’s stand that “the supply of 90 MTs of oxygen from the Central quota on April 26 coupled with the availability of oxygen generated in the State through various sources was adequate to meet the requirement for treating patients in the state”.
“Certain disturbing facts have emerged during hearing of the present matter under public interest litigation relating to deficient health care infrastructure in Bihar to meet the challenges posed by exponential rise in Covid-19 cases in its second wave. Acute shortage of medical oxygen in the state, particularly in the hospitals treating Covid patients, is an admitted fact,” the bench observed.
{{/usCountry}}“Certain disturbing facts have emerged during hearing of the present matter under public interest litigation relating to deficient health care infrastructure in Bihar to meet the challenges posed by exponential rise in Covid-19 cases in its second wave. Acute shortage of medical oxygen in the state, particularly in the hospitals treating Covid patients, is an admitted fact,” the bench observed.
{{/usCountry}}The bench said it has formed an opinion that “Bihar is not in a position to increase the number of Covid-19 beds in government and private hospitals because of shortage of oxygen and is unfortunately determining the requirement of oxygen merely on the basis of minuscule number of beds which have been made available compared to the actual need”.
The court also underlined the report of the central team, which pointed at inadequate infrastructure even in the state’s big government hospitals like the IGIMS and PMCH.
Huge vacancies
The court was also surprised by the huge number of vacancies at various levels in the health sector. “It is noteworthy that 4,149 posts of specialist doctors and 3,206 of general doctors are vacant. As against total sanctioned posts of 91,921 at various levels, 46,256 posts are vacant. It is high time the state government looked into this aspect and took remedial measures. We will be taking up this aspect of the matter in future proceedings,” the court observed.
The court also wanted to know from the state government the basis for determination of number of Covid deaths in the state and what are the sources which feed data in relation to such deaths.
The query is significant as there have been several allegations of underreporting due to growing rush at the crematoriums.
Lack of storage tanks
In course of the hearing , it came to light that except three hospitals, none of the government and private hospitals in Patna has cryogenic storage tank, a basic requirement for big hospitals. As a result, full utilization of hospital beds is not happening due to lack of oxygen supply.
The Central team’s report said All India Institute of Medical Sciences (Patna), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital at Bihta and private hospitals Paras in Patna have cryogenic storage tank for oxygen. Even old and big hospitals like Patna Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) and state’s first dedicated Covid hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) don’t have the facility.
The government’s announcement to convert Medanta-Jai Prabha Hospital, which has come up on the government land, into a Covid hospital has also remained a non-starter. The court directed the health department to ensure that Medanta, which did not have oxygen supply facility at present, could provide a 50-bed facility. It also directed that facility created for Covid patients at the Pataliputra Sports Complex be put to use.
The report of the central team said the PMCH has 1,750 beds, but nearly 1,000 remained unused for want of oxygen.
The ailing system
Demand and supply
Bihar’s quota for medical oxygen per day,as fixed by Centre, is 194 MTs. It received only 90 MTs on April 26. State says the supply, coupled with oxygen generated in the state, is adequate to for treating patients, a claim trashed by the HC.
Storage problems
Only three hospitals in Pana — AIIMS, ESIC Hospital at Bihta and private Paras Hospital, have cryogenic storage tanks for oxygen, a basic requirement for big hospitals. Even premier hospitals like PMCH, NMCH and IGIMS don’t have the facility.
Manpower gap
As against the total number of sanctioned posts of 91,921 at various levels, 46,256 having been lying vacant at various state-run hospitals. State has now decided to hire doctors and nurses on a one-year contract through walk-in interviews.