Patna: The Bihar Health Department has announced new rules to improve emergency care in government hospitals. Now, doctors and staff must begin treatment for serious patients within one minute of their arrival. The decision was made after the recent death of a rape victim, which raised serious questions about delays in treatment at major hospitals in Muzaffarpur.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Pratyaya Amrit, held a video meeting with hospital officials and ordered strict action. He said that no patient in an emergency should be told there are no beds. All medical college and district hospitals must follow the new rules immediately.
A special emergency team will be created in every hospital to work in three shifts. This team will include one emergency doctor, four nurses, a pharmacist, a lab technician, an X-ray technician, two dressers, and support staff. These teams will work 24 hours a day to ensure that no patient is left waiting.
Hospitals have also been told to hold regular meetings to check their emergency facilities and train their staff. Officials said that fast treatment saves lives and also helps avoid problems related to law and order. The department said that an emergency room shows how good or bad a hospital really is—and now, there is no room for mistakes.
