Technicians unavailable to run ventilators, Bihar to transfer unused ones at govt hospitals to the private sector

PATNA: Bihar health department has now decided to release more than two hundred unused ventilators to private hospitals for the next three months to be used for treating COVID-19 patients. A total of 207 new ventilators, which were purchased years ago for different government hospitals, have not been made operational due to a shortage of trained technicians in 36 out of total 38 districts.

Upon knowing this glaring failure of the department, the government has decided to provide these ventilators to the private hospitals having trained operators to run them for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Through an advertisement, the state health department has asked the private hospitals of state to apply for taking the ventilators for next three months, only if they have requisite facilities with operators to use them.

It has also been made clear by the state health department that the ventilators would be given only to those private hospitals, which will be found eligible in the inspection by health officers after applications for ventilators are received. The private hospitals have been asked to apply in the office of the district civil surgeons enclosing all details on technicians and other facilities required for running ventilators.

In Purnia and Rohtas districts, 7 ventilators each are lying unused followed by six in other 32 districts and 2 ventilators in the other 2 districts. In Patna, six ventilators are still lying unused under the care of the civil surgeon office.

It has also been fixed that the private hospitals using the government ventilators will charge only fix rate of Rs 2000 from the patient. In case applications for ventilators are received from more than one deserving private hospital, priority will be given to the hospital having more beds for COVID-19 patients.

Stepping up attack on Nitish Kumar led government, leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav said that it was shocking to know that there has been no technician in government hospitals to run the ventilators. “ The entire health system has collapsed, with 57% shortage of doctors 71% nurses, 72% lab technicians and 80% operators to run the ventilators”, he alleged.

Meanwhile, the state government has also decided to give special family pension to the government employees who died due to the pandemic on the line of duty. The next kin of dead government employees will also be given a job in government on compassionate ground.