Bihar to install oxygen pipeline system in sub-divisional hospitals

New Delhi: Faced with an increasing number of Covid-19 cases following the return of migrants, Bihar has decided to install the Medical Gas Pipeline System for oxygen supply in all its 16 sub-divisional hospitals over the next three months.

The state government is also set to place an order for medicine supplies for the next two years including 3.5 million strips of hydroxychroloquine tablets, besides procuring walk-in-kiosks like Kerala for all its district hospitals to take Covid-19 samples from patients.

As Covid-19 cases are being reported from across Bihar, a senior state government official said the Medical Gas Pipeline system for oxygen supply, which is currently in place in only some prominent hospitals in the state, will be extended to all its sub-divisional hospitals in Banmankhi, Forbesganj, Benipur, Mahua, Rajauli, Maharajganj, Dumraon and Jainagar, among others. “The work will be allotted with a three-month deadline,” said a senior state government official, who did not wish to be identified.



Positive cases in Bihar increased to 2,643 on Monday, with nearly 1,900 active cases, while the death toll stood at 13. State health minister Mangal Pandey said 733 people had recovered so far and the recovery rate was improving. More than 1,500 of the active cases are of migrants who have returned to Bihar in big numbers in the past three weeks.

Three days ago, Bihar invited tenders for the supply of drugs for different healthcare facilities “in view of pandemic emergency situation prevailing due to novel coronavirus,” as per the state government document, a copy of which was seen by ET.

The order will be for supply of 50 kinds of drugs over the next two years, including hydroxychroloquine. Bihar has said it will procure 3.5 million strips of this drug, which has been backed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for reducing the chances of getting infected with Covid-19 although the World Health Organization recently warned against its use. In an advisory released last week, ICMR expanded the usage of the antimalarial drug. Bihar wants these drugs to be supplied with a logogram on their packing — ‘Bihar government supply — not for sale’— as per the document.

Bihar is also placing orders for installing walk-in kiosks for contact-less sampling of Covid-19 patients. Kerala was among the first states to install them to ensure medical staff do not get infected while taking samples.