NEW DELHI: The reins of Bihar’s health department are held by Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of the state and a prominent leader of the RJD. While big claims and plans for improvement are put forward by his administration, ground realities appear to be starkly different. Reports of healthcare inadequacies continue to surface within the state.
The latest incident stems from Munger Sadar Hospital, where allegations arose regarding patients being shifted from the hospital’s care to a private facility. Patients, facing financial difficulties, found themselves back at Sadar Hospital after seeking initial treatment at a private clinic.
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Upon the emergence of this incident, the District Magistrate ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts. The case involves the admission of Smita Kumari, a local of Munger, who suffered burns in a fire on Tuesday. Reportedly, she was admitted to a private hospital without the consent of her family after spending a considerable sum of around Rs 35,000, at the clinic.
Despite the expense, Smita’s condition did not improve. Consequently, her family retrieved her from the private hospital and caused an uproar upon returning her to the Sadar Hospital.
The distressed family revealed that Smita had undergone a surgical procedure on December 5 for childbirth. Following the fire incident, they rushed her to the Sadar Hospital. However, upon their return, they couldn’t locate the patient.
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After intense searching, they discovered that she had been admitted to a private hospital, where an additional 35,000 rupees were extracted. The family was further demanded an extra 21,000 rupees for medicines and other expenses.
Following the ordeal, the family managed to return Smita to the Sadar Hospital, where she was readmitted, and their treatment recommenced.
The Deputy Superintendent of Sadar Hospital, Dr. Raman Kumar expressed dismay over the incident stating that the referral of a female patient to an external facility by one of their doctors was disgraceful and against proper conduct. Assurances were made that a thorough investigation would be conducted, and appropriate action would be taken against those responsible.
This incident adds to the growing concerns over healthcare practices and financial constraints faced by patients within Bihar’s medical infrastructure.
