Only 150 beds in IGIMS and 108 in PMCH available for treatment of COVID patients

As Bihar reels under the Covid-19 pandemic, the facilities announced by the state government in hospitals are far from reality. The Bihar government recently declared the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna, as a Covid-dedicated hospital with 500 beds. Besides, 75 per cent beds in the 1,200-bed Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), Patna, have to be reserved for Covid-19 patients.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on April 27 declared IGIMS as a Covid-dedicated hospital. Following his announcement, the health department converted IGIMS into a dedicated Covid hospital. Now it has been found that only 150 beds are occupied by Covid-19 infected patients. According to a senior doctor of IGIMS, the state government has announced the 500-bed dedicated Covid hospital but connectivity of oxygen pipelines to beds, medicines and other equipment are not available in the remaining 350 beds.

"As a result we have admitted only 150 patients in the hospital. Moreover, the hospital administration is struggling to arrange oxygen, life-saving medicines etc. In the absence of facilities, we are denying admission to fresh Covid-19 patients," said the Medical Officer of IGIMS. "IGIMS is a prestigious medical institute in Patna where the state government has facilitated 50 ventilators for Covid patients. It is not operational due to lack of necessary equipment and medical facilities like oxygen and other medical parts required for operation of ventilators," he added.

In PMCH, Nitish Kumar announced that 75 per cent of the 1,200 beds will be reserved for Covid-infected patients. But only 108 beds are occupied by Covid patients. The hospital administration is offering beds to new patients only after old patients have either died or have been discharged from the hospital.