PATNA: Amid alarming situation in Bihar, all the reaming six medical colleges have now been authorised to reserve 50% of their total beds for COVID-19 patients. So far the virus-infected patients were not being admitted in these medical colleges and hospitals.
In Bihar, COVID-19 treatment has been made available only in three medical colleges so far -- NMCH at Patna, ANMCH at Gaya and JLNMCH at Bhagalpur. Now, the Patna-AIIMS has also been named a dedicated COVID-19 hospital.
The state government took this step after total positive cases reached 14,330 with 111 deaths on Friday. All the six medical colleges and hospitals have been directed to have a capacity of 100 beds with oxygen cylinders available on war-footing. The department has directed all principals and the superintendents to make the necessary arrangements.
According to an official order issued by principal health secretary Uday Singh Kumawat, special care has been asked to be taken while arranging beds in order to keep other patients at a safe distance from corona patients. It has also been made mandatory to mark a separate building (block) for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
All the 38 districts of the state will be tagged to one of the nine medical colleges, based on distance. "Severe symptomatic patients of would be given these beds for proper medical care and treatment", Kumawat said.
According to the order, patients from Patna, Saran, Siwan and Gopalganj districts would be admitted at PMCH while the patients from Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Rohtas and Kaimur would be admitted at NMCH. COVID-19 cases belonging to Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Supaul and Begusarai would be admitted at DMCH at Darbhanga, while the patients from Bhagalpur, Banka, Munger, Khagaria, Jamui and Lakhisarai will be admitted at JLNMCH in Bhagalpur. Patients from Gaya, Aurangabad, Jehanabad and Arwal should reach ANMCH in Gaya and patients from Nalanda, Nawada and Shekhpura should go to Vardhaman Institute of Medical Sciences at Pawapuri in Nalanda. Patients from East and West Champaran should get admitted at Bettiah MC and Saharsa, Madhepura, Purnia, Araria, Katihar and Kishanganj residents would be treated at Jannayak Karpoori Thakur medical college and hospital at Madhepura.