Tejashwi Yadav attacks Bihar govt over patients treated with cardboard splints

Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Friday criticised the BJP-led government over cardboards being allegedly used to immobilise fractured legs of two patients at a state-run hospital in Jehanabad, saying the health department was "in the ICU".

Two youths injured in a collision between two motorcycles in Hulasganj on Thursday were referred by the Jehanabad Sadar Hospital to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) with cardboards wrapped around their fractured legs as support.

Hospital superintendent-in-charge Chandrashekhar Azad said Civil Surgeon in-charge Meena Kumari and other officials were summoned by the district magistrate, who sought an explanation and ordered an inquiry into the incident.

Yadav questioned whether the state's financial condition was so poor that a district hospital could not provide plaster for a fractured leg.

"During our 17-month tenure, we brought about qualitative changes in Bihar's healthcare system through our determination and passion. But now, the Bihar health department is unable to implement those reform-oriented policies and decisions. It is itself in the ICU," he said in a social media post.

Yadav called the incident "shameful", saying the patients were denied even an "essential first-aid facility like plaster" at a district hospital located barely 45 km from the state capital.

"The NDA has been in power in Bihar for 21 years. The prime minister comes here during the election season and speaks of 'jungle raj'. Beyond the election season, these self-serving people have no concern for Bihar. They have installed puppets here who have nothing to do with public welfare," he alleged.

BJP leader Mritunjay Tiwari said it was Yadav's politics, and not the state's health department, that was "running on a ventilator in an ICU".

"Tejashwi Yadav's politics is running on ventilator in an ICU, and to save it, he is making unsuccessful attempts to protest over everything on social media," he said.

Tiwari said every department of the Samrat Choudhary-led NDA government was "working sensitively" and that any negligence found in the matter would be dealt with strictly.

Tiwari said Choudhary was personally monitoring the functioning of the health and education sectors to ensure improvements.

"Development work is visible to all except Tejashwi Yadav because his politics is running on ventilator," he alleged.