Automated mask dispensing machines at Buxar, Ara stations

PATNA/ARA: Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey inaugurated through video link an automated mask and sanitiser dispensing machine at Buxar railway station on Friday.
According to Danapur senior divisional railway manager Adhar Raj, this facility will benefit a large number of people boarding trains at Buxar. This machine will deliver at least 48 varieties of masks, sanitisers and other items related to safety from Covid-19 during journey.
Similarly, Union minister of state for power and new and renewable energy (independent charge) R K Singh also inaugurated an automated vending machine at Ara station on Friday through video link.
“Buxar and Ara are two major stations of the Danapur division from where a large number of passengers travel by trains every day. This facility will help them at a time when railways is ensuring availability of Covid-19 safety items, including bedsheets, hand gloves and masks on station premises at reasonable prices,” Raj added.
Union minister Singh, who is also the Ara MP, held a videoconference with Bhojpur DM Roshan Kushwaha, civil surgeon L P Jha and other health officials and asked them to double their efforts to scale up the Covid control measures in the district.
He asked the civil surgeon to set up a separate 50-bed ward with oxygen cylinders for the Covid patients at Ara Sadar hospital. Besides, a regular trained technician to operate ventilators, four other technicians and doctors are also to be trained to operate the ventilators in emergency situations.
The civil surgeon was also asked to prepare and submit a list of required medical equipment and anti-viral drugs known to be effective in the treatment of Covid patients, so that the government will make it available for the district. The civil surgeon and deputy superintendent of Ara Sadar hospital were asked to ensure the timely presence of doctors and ensure that the OPD and the emergency services continued in all circumstances.
Later, in a joint inspection of Ara Sadar hospital by Bhojpur DM and SP, a bedsheet on an unoccupied bed was found to be extremely dirty. An explanation has been sought from the Sadar hospital manager, who was ordered to augment the cleanliness at the hospital. He was also asked to solve the waterlogging problem on the hospital premises.