Patna HC seeks reply from Bihar govt on COVID treatment facility

Kumar submitted that the government has failed to utilise rapid antigen test kits which have been made available by ICMR. The court will hear the matter next on August 7..

The Patna High Court on Friday directed Bihar government to furnish details of steps it has taken to deal with Covid-19 pandemic getting worse in the state. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice Sanjay Kumar also asked the state government to provide district-wise detail about number of tests conducted and proposed to be done and how many hospitals have been notified as special COVID-19 centres.

Besides, it also sought to know about number of isolation centres, facilities for patients, figures relating to availability of doctors and paramedical staff in the hospitals and also the number of ventilators and oxygen cylinders. The bench also queried the state government on procedure being followed for disposal of dead bodies, count of patients suffering from COVID-19 and reasons for not admitting patients in the districts and referring them to Patna for treatment.

The court passed the direction on a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Dinesh Kumar Singh, seeking a slew of directions to the state government for tackling pandemic more effectively by conducting rapid antigen test, sero survey for COVID-19 and setting up blood plasma bank at Patna. The petitioner's counsel Dinu Kumar submitted that the number of COVID patients have been increasing rapidly in the state and there is no adequate arrangement for tests and treatment here.

Common people are the ultimate victims of the mismanagement at big hospitals like AIIMS, PMCH, NMCH in the state capital, the counsel added. Kumar submitted that the government has failed to utilise rapid antigen test kits which have been made available by ICMR.

The court will hear the matter next on August 7.

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