PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday directed officials to start RT-PCR testing facility in Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Medical College and Hospital, Madhepura, so that people living in the adjoining districts can get the testing facility for COVID-19.
The testing facilities are currently available at seven institutions in Bihar, including in RMRI, PMCH, NMCH, AIIMS Patna and medical colleges of Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga.
Kumar asked the officials to increase the number of beds in isolation centres in all the districts, an official release said.
Personal Protective Equipment kits, masks etc be made available in adequate numbers to ensure the safety of the doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff who have been working day and night to protect people from the spread of coronavirus, Kumar said.
Kumar, who was accompanied by his Deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, held a review meeting with Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar and senior officials to take stock of measures being taken to contain the spread of COVD-19 in the state.
The CM appealed to the people not to come to the state walking on foot and asked them to inform their nearest block office or police station so that they can be sent to their destination.
He also directed officials concerned to make proper arrangements to take people sighted walking to their home from outside to their destinations.
Health Department Principal Secretary, Sanjay Kumar, informed the meeting that out of total 589 positive patients, 318 have recovered while five have died, as they were suffering from a serious illness.
Of the 589, 96 infected persons are those who have come to the state from outside.
A random sampling of those coming from other states is being carried out in red zones, he said.
Giving information about the arrangements at the quarantine centres in the state, Disaster Management Department, Principal Secretary, Pratyaya Amrit said that 72,000 people are staying in quarantine centres across the state where all necessary arrangements have been made.
Follow up action is being taken after taking feedback from people put in these centres, he said.