Tejashwi flags poor condition of Bihar govt hospital ahead of PM visit

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RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday launched an attack against the NDA government in Bihar over the "deplorable state" of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Purnea, flagging issues including no ICU, multiple patients on a single bed and doctors' posts being vacant.

Tejashwi Yadav inspected the hospital ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bihar visit on September 15 and slammed Health Minister Mangal Pandey, calling him an "incompetent and rhetoric-spouting" leader.

Sharing visuals from inside the hospital, Tejashwi wrote on X, "Last night, a surprise inspection was conducted at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Purnea. Watch a glimpse of the deplorable state of the healthcare system under 20 years of NDA in the video."

"This deplorable condition is not of some district hospital, community health centre, or primary health centre, but of the so-called medical college. Learn about the ground reality and send your curses to the incompetent, rhetoric-spouting health minister of this disastrous government," he added.

He noted that the hospital has no ICU, an operational trauma centre, or a cardiology department, and the toilets are inaccessible and unclean.

"This is a medical college and hospital, but there is no ICU here. The trauma centre is not operational. There is no cardiology department, i.e., no heart disease department. Three patients are made to lie on a single bed. Bedsheets of patients are not changed even after 15-20 days. The toilets for patients with orthopaedic issues and those requiring disability-related surgeries are two feet high. There is absolutely no cleanliness," the RJD leader wrote on X.

Flagging a lack of doctors and nurses in the hospital, he alleged that only 55 nurses are working in three shifts, with 80 per cent of doctors' posts vacant.

He stated, "GMCH is a Medical College Hospital, but out of the sanctioned 255 nurse posts, only 55 nurses are working, and that too in three shifts. This means only 18 nurses are on duty at a time. If some are on leave, the number is even lower. 80 per cent of the doctor posts at GMCH are vacant. There is not a single permanent dresser at GMCH. The entire college and hospital have only four OT assistants. Many of the 23 departments are closed. Professors and assistant professors are present only in name. Medical interns have not received their salaries for 6 months."

Further, Tejashwi Yadav accused the NDA government of corruption, alleging commissions in building structures and the purchase of medical equipment.

"Due to the lack of doctors, healthcare workers, medical equipment, healthcare services, and facilities in government hospitals and medical colleges, 10,000 patients visit private hospitals in Purnea daily. The corrupt ministers and officials of the NDA government spend thousands of crores of rupees just to build structures, eating commissions in corruption, but they do not appoint doctors, healthcare workers, lab technicians, dressers, assistants, etc. They purchase medical equipment worth thousands of crores for commissions but do not hire technicians to operate them," he alleged.

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ahead of his upcoming visit, Tejashwi referred to the NDA government as "double jungle raj".

He stated, "Tomorrow, Prime Minister Modi ji is coming to Purnea in Seemanchal to shower rhetoric. Despite occupying such a high position, will he not see the massive shortcomings of his 20 years of governance in Bihar and 11 years at the centre under the double-engine government before indulging in petty and small talk?"

"Prime Minister Modi ji will surely give a sermon on the corruption, unemployment, poverty, failures of the NDA government, looting of the poor in the name of treatment, and the deplorable state of education and healthcare systems, as well as the double jungle raj of the double-engine government in Bihar over the past 20 years," the RJD leader added.

The Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly asked PM Modi to visit the GMCH in Purnea along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Prime Minister ji, please do visit this medical college in Purnea tomorrow and make sure to bring along the Chief Minister from 2005 onwards; otherwise, he will say, was there anything before 2005?" he said.

Tejashwi's remarks precede the Prime Minister's visit to Purnea on September 15, where he will inaugurate the Purnea Airport. He will also address a public rally at Shishabari village, where people from Purnia, Katihar, Araria, and Kishanganj districts are expected to gather.