Munger sadar hospital ICU, neo natal care unit yet to become functional

MUNGER: The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Special Neo-natal Care Unit (SNCU), launched with great fanfare on the campus of Munger sadar hospital on February 28, are yet to become functional. The locked rooms of both the units have not been opened since the day of inauguration.
Machines and the other equipment of both the units worth Rs 1.5 crore, which were lying in the cold storage of the hospital and were getting rusted were repaired and installed on February 28 after about six years of continuous struggle by the Progressive People’s Front, Munger, and repeated assurance by the then health minister Ashwani Kumar Chaubey besides regular pressure of the divisional commissioner and the district magistrate.It was inaugurated by Munger DM Amrendra Kumar Singh on February 28 in presence of other officials of the district.
Dr Jawahar Prasad Singh, the then civil surgeon had said on the occasion that henceforth no patient suffering from heart problem and other related ailments besides newborn children who are in need of neo- natal care, will have to rush to Patna or Delhi. “But the inauguration was a mere eyewash,” said Kamal Kumar Kamal, a JD(U) leader of Munger.
Dr Rameshwar Mahto, the present civil surgeon on Tuesday said, both the units were inaugurated in a hurry on February 28 mainly because the then civil surgeon Dr Singh was retiring on the same day. A day after the inauguration, doctors working on contracts went on strike from March 1. Hence, both the units are closed due to unavailability of doctors, Dr Mahto said.
Resultantly, patients reaching the sadar hospital with heart problems and neo-natal cases are being referred to Bhagalpur or Patna, a physician of the sadar hospital said.
Manish Kumar Singh, resident of Basudeopur area under Kotwali PS said his wife, a heart patient was rushed to sadar hospital on Sunday but could not be treated in the ICU and was referred to PMCH, Patna.