Patna, Apr 20 (IANS): The Patna high court has formed a two-member committee in Bihar to inspect Covid hospitals and submit a report to the court. The committee visited Patna Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday.
The High Court has appointed a director level officer of Patna AIIMS and a top official of Human Rights Commission as members of the committee.
The two-judge bench of Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Mohit Kumar Shah authorized the committee to conduct surprise inspections of any hospital in the state and submit report to the court. The High Court has also directed the committee to inspect Nalanda Medical College and hospital (NMCH) on Tuesday.
Both the judges have given strong remarks against the state having no permanent drug controller. They have asked the state government to explain why there is no drug controller. Besides, the High Court also asked the Bihar government to inform about action taken to combat Covid-19 in the state.
The High Court on Monday evening, started a hearing through video conferencing. During this, the director of AIIMS informed the court about the shortage of Remdesivir, a key drug to fight Covid. He further said that the number of beds has been increased in AIIMS Patna and such enhancements are also required in government hospitals like PMCH, NMCH, IGIMS etc.
The court gave strong remarks on unavailability of life saving drugs and oxygen cylinders.
"Deaths due to unavailability of drugs and oxygen cylinders are violation of human rights. The state government should arrange necessary life saving drugs, oxygen cylinders in all dedicated Covid hospitals, medical colleges and private hospitals and other sub-divisional hospitals where Covid patients are admitted," the court said.
Manoj Kumar, special secretary of health in Bihar government admits that the state has not received a single unit of Remdesivir injection on Sunday. He said that the Bihar government had received 1000 Remdesivir injections on Thursday. On Saturday, 200 more injections came.
"We have ordered 50,000 units of Remdesivir injections for Bihar and we are expected to receive drug consignment from the start of next week," the special secretary said.
Sources have said that due to scarcity of the injection, the touts are active around the hospitals in search of potential buyers and selling them on high prices in black.