Team Constituted To Ascertain Information On Health Infrastructure At All Levels In Bihar: State Govt Informs Patna High Court

A day after Patna High Court sought the presence of the Chief Medical Officers presently posted in all the 38 districts of Bihar to furnish details regarding health infrastructure in the state, the State Government on Friday informed the Court that it has constituted a team for ascertaining the information with regard to health infrastructure at all levels within the State of Bihar.

The four members team would be headed by the Executive Director, Bihar State Health Society, Mr. Pratyaya Amrit, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, Government of Bihar informed the Patna High Court.

The Additional Chief Secretary and certain Civil Surgeons-cum-Chief Medical Officers were present through virtual mode on Friday before the bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S. Kumar pursuant to the Court's order issued on Thursday.

In view of the submission made by the Bihar Government, the Court issued the following directions:

• The Civil Surgeons shall furnish such information, in the format already prepared, after physically verifying and certifying correctness thereof.
• This exercise is to be carried out within the next four days.
• Should the Civil Surgeons feel the need of modifying the format, dependent upon the prevalent conditions in their respective institutions, it would be open for them to do so.

The Court has now listed the matter for further hearing on December 24, 2021, at 11:30 A.M. through virtual mode. 

It may be noted that this direction came from the bench while dealing with a batch of pleas filed in connection with the handling of the COVID situation in the state. Presently, the Court is concerned with the preparedness of the Bihar Government to tackle the possible third wave of the pandemic.

Importantly, the Court wasn't satisfied with the report filed by the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, Government of Bihar as the Amicus Curiae pointed towards various contradictions in the report.

However, on Friday the Additional Chief Secretary admitted the mistake in filing the affidavit as it was not only incomplete on material particulars but also contained contradictions.

The Court has sought the information with regard to the health infrastructure, be it human resources or otherwise, at the district and sub-division level.

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