Private Hospitals in Bihar Not Admitting Patients with COVID-19 Symptoms

The NTPC has shot off a missive to the Bihar government complaining about the reluctance of private hospitals in the state capital to admit patients testing positive for, or showing symptoms of, COVID-19, and sought intervention in the matter.

A letter to this effect addressed to the Principal Secretary (Health), was written on July 3 by the state-run power giants Regional Executive Director (East II) Asit Kumar Mukherjee.

As indicated by NTPC representative Vishwanath Chandan, till date, five relatives of workers of the organization positioned across Bihar have tried positive for the coronavirus. 

In his letter, Mukherjee has called attention to the way that inside and out "15,000 individuals", including NTPC workers, their reliant relatives and CISF faculty conveyed for security prerequisites are given wellbeing spread by the organization which has empanelled all the main private medical clinics in Patna and different areas. 

"At



present, private medical clinics in Patna are not giving treatment to patients having COVID-19 indications, however those in different states have been doing as such", Mukherjee bemoaned.

The senior NTPC official pointed out that the company was generating "8250 MW" of electricity in the state, which accounted for "around 70 per cent of power consumption in Bihar".

"Your kind intervention is solicited for issuing the necessary direction to private hospitals..this will give confidence to our employees, involved in maintaining the essential service round the clock", Mukherjee added.

Notably, the reluctance of private health care facilities to chip in during the pandemic has drawn the ire of the government in the recent past.

In April, a circular was issued by the Principal Secretary (Health) warning private hospitals, nursing homes and diagnostic centres whereby these were warned of penal action if found shut or refusing admission to patients.