Coronavirus: The make-shift Covid hospitals in Bihar’s Patna and Muzaffarpur will be inaugurated today.
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office today announced the inauguration of two 500-bed makeshift COVID-19 hospitals in Bihar saying that these facilities, built with funds from the PM-CARES Fund Trust, would go a long way in helping the state tide over the coronavirus pandemic.
“These hospitals have 125 ICU beds with ventilators and 375 normal beds each. Each bed also has oxygen supply. The doctors and paramedical staff will be provided by the Armed Forces Medical Services,” read the tweet on the PMO’s official twitter handle.
The mega Covid Care facilities in Patna and Muzaffarpur have been built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the PMO said.
PM-CARES Fund Trust has decided to allocate funds for fight against COVID-19 by way of establishment of 500-bed COVID-19 Makeshift Hospitals at Patna & Muzaffarpur, Bihar by DRDO. This will go a long way in improving COVID care in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/AAPEIDDcRc
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 24, 2020
The announcement comes weeks after a central team visited Bihar to assess the state’s coronavirus preparedness.
The visit by the three-member team, led by Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, came after allegations of poor handling of the COVID-19 situation by the Nitish Kumar government. Several videos, of people complaining about inadequate facilities and negligence at state-run hospitals, have been circulating on the social media. There have also been reports of shortage of doctors and nurses in hospitals across Bihar.
The state’s opposition parties have been critical of the BJP-led NDA government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the poorest states in the country, Bihar had recently extended the lockdown till September 6 owing to continued spread of the COVID-19 disease.
With a total of 1.21 lakh coronavirus cases, Bihar – also due for state polls in October-November – is among the 10 states worst-hit by the pandemic in the country.
The fund for hospital is the fourth significant allocation made from the PM-CARES Fund Trust – the new national war chest to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
In May,Rs 3,100 crore were allocated, with approximately Rs 2,000 crore earmarked for the purchase of ventilators, Rs 1,000 crore for care of migrant labourers and Rs 100 crores towards development of a vaccine.
