Maithili Thakur questions Bihar health minister over hospitals, says ‘not satisfied’ with reply

First-time MLA Maithili Thakur raised questions over crumbling hospital infrastructure in her constituency, igniting a discussion in the Legislative Assembly.

The poor state of government hospitals took centre stage in the Bihar Legislative Assembly during the budget session, after first-time MLA Maithili Thakur questioned her own party’s health minister over crumbling infrastructure in her constituency.

Her viral appeal for better healthcare drew praise after a video of the interaction went viral on social media.

Raising the issue during Question Hour, Thakur flagged the alarming condition of the government hospital in Kurason Nadiyami of Tardeeh Block, warning that the building was unsafe.

Unsatisfied with Health Minister Mangal Pandey’s initial response, which described the building as repairable rather than unsafe, Thakur pressed him again, saying the assessment did not match ground reality. She told the House that healthcare services were being run out of a small room, with no MBBS doctor currently posted at the hospital, despite there having been two earlier.

Thakur clarified that her remarks were not an attack on the minister but an appeal, citing his long tenure in the health department and urging him to act in public interest.

In response, Pandey said the government was aware of the issue and had approved new buildings for several hospitals. However, the assurance failed to convince Thakur, and the exchange briefly heated up the House.

Thakur shared a video of the interaction, which soon went viral, drawing praise on social media for the MLA’s intervention. “No compromise with public health is acceptable. Providing better, accessible and quality health facilities to the people of the region is our priority,” she wrote on Instagram.

Many users said the episode highlighted a widespread but often ignored problem, noting that unsafe government hospital buildings are not limited to Bihar but affect several states across the country.

“Well done..and the way you gracefully disagreed and requested to relook is really appropriate and is worth appreciating,” a user replied on Instagram.