Poor infra mars Nalanda hospital's reputation

The second wave of Covid-19 has again exposed the poor infrastructure at the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), regarded as Bihar's second-largest government hospital. Patients are reportedly dying due to lack of infrastructure and negligence by health care workers. Many patients are denied admission to the hospital.

Patna (Bihar): The second wave of Covid-19 has once again exposed the poor infrastructure at the Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH), regarded as Bihar's second-largest government hospital. Patients are allegedly dying due to lack of infrastructure and negligence by health care workers. Many patients are denied admission to the hospital.

Last year, at this hospital, a Covid patient's body was kept in the isolation ward for two days while patients were simultaneously being treated in the same ward.

Lengthy procedures followed at the hospital are adding to the woes of the patients. A Covid patient, who was brought to the hospital in an ambulance from Rosda in Samastipur district, was left stranded in the ambulance for half an hour due to a prolonged admission procedure. The patient died in the ambulance without receiving medical aid on time.

Another such incident was reported on Tuesday when Health Minister Mangal Pandey arrived at the hospital to inspect the situation. A retired military man, who was Covid-infected, died after waiting for one and a half hour for the staff to get him admitted.

Relatives of Covid patients are quite agitated over the recurring deaths.

One of the patients' relative Guddu Singh said though his kin was admitted to the hospital at 11 pm, no doctor attended him till 4 pm. Further, he alleged that drinking water was added to oxygen cylinders and the medical staff was whiling away time.