PATNA: The Patna high
court on Saturday directed the state government as well as AIIMS-Patna to increase the number of beds for
Covid-19 patients. It also directed the state government sternly to increase the
RTPCR testing.
A division bench of Justices Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Mohit Kumar Shah conducted a special hearing via virtual mode for three hours from 4.30pm on three PILs on the alarming situation of Covid-19 in the state.
Health department principal secretary Pratyaya Amrit along with state health society executive director Manoj Kumar appeared before the bench. However, Amrit took leave of the court soon as he had fever. The court urged the AIIMS-Patna director to remain present for next hearing on Monday.
Additional advocate generals Anjani Kumar and SD Yadav appeared for the state while Binay Kumar Pandey represented AIIMS-P and Rajeev Kumar Singh appeared for Shivani Kaushik.
The health director’s reply that there was no problem in getting
RTPCR tests done in the state irked the court as the ASG submitted that even he could not get his daughter’s RTPCR test done. The bench observed that if a person like the ASG is facing such a problem then the situation of a common man could be easily understood.
The state government submitted that 40,000 RTPCR tests were being done per day with the help of 18 laboratories in different medical college and hospitals and five private ones.
It also submitted that nine more laboratories, including three at Motihari, Munger and Purnia, would be commissioned for RTPCR testing within three weeks. The court directed the government to ensure their functioning within the said time.
Obeying the HC’s Thursday direction, the state submitted that the Ct value was being mentioned in the RTPCR reports from April 16 onwards.
The state government also submitted that it will purchase 20 x-ray machines within a week and a letter of intent for purchasing 14 CT-scan machines for different district hospitals would be issued within three months. It also submitted that 16 district hospitals already have Ct-scan machines.
The state government submitted that it would make emergency procurement of Remdesivir under National Disaster Management Act. Counsel Sumeet Kumar Singh, appearing for a petitioner, Gaurav Kumar Singh, submitted that he failed to find the injection in the open market and it was available on blackmarket for more than Rs30,000.
Centre’s ASG KN Singh submitted that he has received information from the defence department on deployment of medical team of armed forces at ESIC hospital in Bihta. The HC directed that the Bihta hospital must start functioning as a dedicated Covid hospital from Monday.
Meanwhile, the state government also submitted that steps were being taken to increase the Covid-19 beds at
IGIMS up to 100 and at AIIMS-Patna up to 250. Medanta and Rajendra Nagar Eye Hospital will be utilised for Covid-19 patients.
The high court observed that there was alarming dearth of oxygen cylinders for Covid-19 patients and expressed displeasure over the unexplained contradictory state government’s data showing availability of huge number of beds with oxygen.
However, the state submitted that it was working with the Centre to install pressure swing absorption plants at medical college and hospitals to overcome oxygen shortage. To this, the bench directed the state to submit a report over further progress made in their installations.
During the last hearing, the high court had directed the state to boost health infrastructure by purchasing x-ray and CT-scan machines. The HC observed that the state government was unable to inform the residents about facilities available and it needed to inform them through a portal about the facilities available at different centres.
In response to HC query, the state submitted that a high-level meeting with all the DMs and SPs will take place on Sunday and a comprehensive action plan will be prepared and submitted to the high court on Monday.
The bench observed that the state must ensure that all those reaching Bihar from outside are tested at entry points.