Bihar: Bhagalpur among 4 districts with highest active Covid cases

BHAGALPUR: Not only common people but doctors and paramedical staff are also contracting the deadly infection in large numbers in Bhagalpur, which recorded 376 new cases on Sunday and had the fourth highest active cases in the state after Patna, Gaya and Muzaffarpur on Saturday.
According to the state health department data, altogether 12,978 people have tested for Covid-19 in Bhagalpur till Saturday and 102 of them died of the infection.The district had 2722 active cases on Sunday.
Bhagalpur civil surgeon Dr Umesh Sharma on Sunday said the second wave of Covid-19 is severe. “Several doctors of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH), paramedical staff, doctors associated with private nursing homes and hospitals as well as nursing staff are infected with the virus and are hospitalized or home quarantined. We have prepared Covid centres at Teachers Training College (TTC) near Ghanta Ghar and Sadar hospital having 100 beds for corona patients,” he said.
The previous JLNMCH superintendent, Dr Asim Kumar Das, has also tested positive, following which Dr Kumar Gaurav was made in-charge superintendent of the hospital.
Dr Gaurav said the ICU is full with 164 patients. “There is no shortage of oxygen or medicines for the treatment of Covid patients. We are doing our level best to provide medicare to patients coming to JLNMCH, which has been declared as dedicated Covid hospital,” he said.
Bhagalpur DM Subrat Kumar Sen reviewed the situation with district officials, private nursing homes and hospitals on Saturday. “Private doctors and hospitals management have agreed to provide maximum number of beds for Covid patients at the government rates as per Covid-19 protocols,” the DM said.
He added: “We have asked the district drug office to keep a check on hoarding of medicines by unscrupulous traders. We will take strict action if anyone is found in indulging in blackmarketing of necessary medicines for use in the treatment of corona patients."