No Senior Doctors, Stray Animals & Waste in Veranda: Tejashwi's Surprise Visit Exposes Patna Hospital

In a surprise inspection, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Tejashwi Yadav paid a visit to the Patna Medical College Hospital on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and came down heavily on the senior staff for the crumbling infrastructure, lack of hygiene and unavailability of senior doctors.

As Yadav toured the premises, he was surprised to see patients lying on the floor of the veranda with dirt and medical waste all around. The corpses were not placed properly at the mortuary in the hospital, which was teeming with stray animals.

Upon recognising the deputy chief minister, patients complained to him about the lack of facilities, including medicines and toilets. Patients complained that the toilets are unclean and even the women use the pay-and-use ones outside the hospital.

“One cannot even stand here,” Yadav said, pointing to the waste scattered around in the hospital.

The minister expressed surprise at the unavailability of the senior doctor at the hospital during the night. Instead of the health manager, nurses were seen discharging their duties. He also sought to know why a health manager is not appointed at night.

Speaking to news agency ANI after concluding his inspection, Yadav said: “We inspected PMCH, Gardiner Hospital and Gardanibagh Hospital. The doctors were present in two of the hospitals. The condition of the Tata ward in PMCH is going from bad to worse. I got information that people from various districts come here for treatment. I wanted to see what the problem is, be it related to the doctor or medicines.”

Taking note of the complaints from patients, he said: “There was no senior doctor available, nor was there an adequate arrangement of medicines. Cleanliness was missing. No facilities were being given to the patients. There was carelessness in everything.”

Yadav assured that the state government will “mend all the loopholes”. “I called the superintendent and said that it is his responsibility. There was no roster, no attendance was done. The lie was exposed. Action would be taken. Our government will mend all the loopholes,” he said.

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