The rising death toll and Covid-19 cases in Bihar have invited severe criticism for the Nitish Kumar government. The Opposition has blamed the state government for failing to curb the spread of the coronavirus and the recent jump in cases.
Within the last 24 hours, 1,502 new cases were registered in the state, with 452 cases being registered in Patna alone. This has taken the total number of positive cases in Bihar to 30,066. Meanwhile, complaints about patients being denied treatment or turned away by hospitals have continued to pour in. Several videos showing hospitals where patients were left without treatment and bodies left unattended for days have gone viral on social media. Doctors have also complained about the lack of proper facilities in hospitals.
The rise in Covid-19 cases and the state of hospitals have generated much political debate in Bihar. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav has blamed the BJP and the JDU for prioritising elections over the health of the people of the state. “The focus of the government right now should be to control the growing cases of coronavirus and improve health services. But the BJP and the JDU only want elections. Will it be right to conduct elections over dead bodies in the state?” Tejashwi asked. He also raised questions regarding the transfer of the NMCH director, saying it was done because he had “dared to expose the state government before the central team which was in Patna to take stock of the Covid-19 spread and the state government’s measures taken to control it.” Meanwhile, Congress MLC Premchand Mishra has called for the deferral of the Monsoon Session of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha.
In the meantime, coronavirus has claimed the lives of BJP MLC Sunil Kumar Singh. Also, the Civil Surgeon of Samastipur and a PA of a state minister have succumbed to the virus.
