Saharsa: In yet another instance of irregularities in COVID 19 testing and vaccination programmes in Bihar, several discrepancies have recently appeared in the beneficiaries list displayed on the website of Nauhatta Public Health Centre located in the Saharsa district in the state.
Reportedly, the PDF file mapping vaccinations conducted in the PHC displayed names such as that of PM Narendra Modi, Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, actress Rakhi Sawant, actor Ranbir Kapoor, singer Ranu Mondal as well as Saharsa District Magistrate Kaushal Kumar and Superintendent of Police Lipi Singh.
After the knowledge of the incident came to the fore, health department in the state has begun confirming whether the list is accurate or is the result of any mistakes committed by health workers.
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Mobile numbers, albeit almost all incorrect, have been listed corresponding to all of the aforementioned names.
The same number, too, has been used for multiple names, with the last two digits differing for each person.
Another irregularity seen in this regard has been in terms of identity proof, with voter identity cards having been used as ID proof instead of Aadhar cards.
A plausible reason for attaching voter ID as identification proof instead of Aadhar is thought to be to negate any chances of messages being sent to the mobile number provided in the database.
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It is understood that the health department will be taking actions against multiple people if the accusation of neglect while preparing the list proves to be correct. The truth, however, can only be revealed after a departmental inquiry.
Similar cases took place beforehand
A similar incident was reported in the Karpi PHC in Arwal on October 27, wherein large-scale irregularities were reported with regard to COVID 19 tests.
Similar to the current incident, phone numbers and names were totally wrong in the earlier instance as well.
The names, in this list, included that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah actress Priyanka Chopra.
Upon checking, the numbers connected to people living in places such as Buxar, Jhumri Tilaiya and Haridwar.
In Tekari under Gaya district, on the other hand, names of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, wife of former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav Rabri Devi, and Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey were mentioned, highlighting that they had been given their first doses in the PHC.
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Significantly, the Bihar government, on December 5, updated the number of deaths from COVID in the state. The count, which earlier stood at 9,664 rose to 12,089 after 2,424 deaths occurred in a day.
This update marked the second such change in six months in figures under government records.
The updation in the figures by Bihar government came after the administration faced harsh criticism by the Patna High Court, which rebuked the former for not including COVID-induced deaths in Buxar district in government figures.
