Bhagalpur hospital superintendent removed

PATNA: Principal secretary of health department Pratyaya Amrit on Wednesday ordered immediate removal of Dr Ashok Kumar Bhagat from the post of superintendent of Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH) at Bhagalpur for serious negligence in management of the Covid ward. He ordered Dr Aseem Kumar Das, deputy superintendent, to take charge of the superintendent.
The action was taken after Pratyaya made a surprise visit to the JLNMCH to review the functioning of its Covid ward.He was shocked to see the attendants of some of the Covid patients present there in the isolation ward without even PPE. “It was disturbing and surprising and showed gross negligence on the part of the superintendent in the management of Covid ward,” Pratyay told this newspaper.
He said the attendants could become ‘super spreaders’ of the virus. Departmental proceedings have also been ordered against Dr Bhagat, he said.
Pratyaya said these unprotected attendants could infect all those in their families and neighbourhood.
After reviewing other arrangements, Pratyaya directed the hospital authorities to use its maternity and children healthcare block for the Covid patients.
On his visit to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital at Gaya, the principal secretary directed the authorities to create a donning and doffing area for PPE kits as per the Covid guidelines. There, too, Pratyaya directed the hospital authorities to dedicate the maternity and child healthcare building as Covid ward within three days.
The dedicated Covid ward must have separate gate so as to keep other departments of the hospital safe, he told the officials.