The Hindu : National : Flood hits health care system in Bihar

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Thursday, Aug 02, 2007
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Flood hits health care system in Bihar

K. Balchand

—Photo: Ranjeet Kumar

Women of Gangatibisunpur of Muzaffarpur district in Bihar wade through waters on Wednesday.

PATNA: The entire health care system has been crippled in north Bihar with both the major medical college hospitals being shut down indefinitely following the inundation of the premises on Wednesday.

The Darbhanga Medical College Hospital was ordered shut by the district authorities and the patients were asked to vacate forthwith. Hours later, the Muzaffarpur officials ordered the closure of the Shri Krishna Medical College hospital adding to the woes of the millions who have been living without a roof, food and medicine for almost 10 days now.

School students marooned

The flood situation worsened with more release of water from barrages leading to breaches in embankments. The Kareh River caused more damage to Darbhanga and Samastipur districts. A number of school students have been marooned in their schools following the breach in Samastipur.

Governor R.S. Gavai summoned an all-party meeting to elicit feedback.

The opposition parties had pressured him into doing so in the absence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is away on a foreign jaunt.

Railway Minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad called for the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to tackle the grave situation in the wake of criminal negligence of the Chief Minister in cutting short his visit to Mauritius and leaving the five million people, rendered destitute by the unprecedented floods, to their own fate.

After making an aerial survey of the devastation in north Bihar in an IAF helicopter, Mr. Prasad urged the Prime Minister to visit the State to take stock of the situation for himself and take action as the state government did not appear serious about the matter. He intended to submit a report in this regard to the Centre.

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