All 447 NMCH beds should have oxygen pipeline: Bihar minister

PATNA: State health minister Mangal Pandey, who visited Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) on Thursday, asked its administration to equip all beds with oxygen pipeline. NMCH is one of the four dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in the state.
This was Pandey’s first visit to NMCH after it was declared a dedicated Covid hospital. During his nearly three-hour visit, Pandey inspected all the wards and interacted with patients as well.
NMCH superintendent Dr Vinod Kumar Singh said there are 447 beds for Covid-19 patients in the hospital and 167 of them have oxygen pipeline. “The Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited will start installing oxygen pipelines on all beds from Saturday onwards,” he added.
Dr Singh said the health minister has asked the hospital administration to listen to the grievances of people and provide better medical facilities to them. “We are already working in this direction. Doctors’ duty roster is being upgraded. The hospital has been divided into 11 divisions and each division will have one head who will personally visit patients and get in touch with medicine department head or shift the patient to ICU if needed. This will improve synchronisation.”
The NMCH superintendent said only Covid-19 positive patients would be admitted to the hospital.
Asked about nursing staff who boycotted work on Wednesday alleging misbehaviour by attendants, Dr Singh said, “One of the attendants had chased a nurse with slipper. After the incident, we held a dialogue with nursing staff and they resumed duty at midnight. We have assured them of proper security.”