CAG report flags inadequate facilities in 5 Bihar hospitals

Later, accountant general (adit) Ramavatar Sharma, told reporters that five district hospitals in Biharsharif (Nalanda), Hajipur (Vaishali), Jehanabad, Madhepura and Patna were sampled. He said: “Shortfall of beds ranged from 52 to 92 per cent vis a vis Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) norms implying bed strength of district hospital was no commensurate with the population. Except in two district hospitals, even available beds were only 24 to 32 per cent of what was sanctioned by Bihar government in 2009”. The AG added there was shortage of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and technicians from 2014 to 2020.

Pointing out inadequacies in out patient department (OPD) services in these sampled five district hospitals, the CAG report said: “The test-checked district hospitals did not provide 12 to 15 significant OPD curative services like cardiology, gastro enterology, nephrology, ENT etc..” The report also pointed out that patient load on these hospitals were 13 to 208 per cent higher than prescribed norms. The free drugs were made available to only 41 per cent OPD patients, added the report.

The CAG report further pointed out that out of 121 diagnistic facilities, Hajipur hospital had maximum facilities of 33 per cent among five sampled district hospitals including ones from Patna and CM Nitish Kumar’s home district of Nalanda. “Four district hospitals that were in Japanese Encephalitis endemic districts did not have facility to provide diagnostic services like test fir JE and chikungunya”, said the CAG report.

While the CAG report talked about non-availability of trauma-management services in the five sampled do strict hospitals, the report said operation theatres were not available for emergency services in any of these hospitals and shortage of essential drugs in OT ranged from 64 to 91 per cent. ICU was available only in Jehanabad district hospital.

Pointing out poor condition of blood banks in district hospitals, the CAG report said: “Nine district hospitals including district hospital Patna in Bihar were without blood bank and existing bank banks at district hospitals except two had been running without license between 3014 and 2020”.