Motihari/Patna: In what may be the most creative interpretation of “precautionary healthcare” yet, a patient at the Sangrampur Community Health Centre in Motihari, Bihar, walked in complaining of a cough — and walked out having received a rabies injection.
The District Magistrate, presumably surprised that rabies had found a new transmission route through coughing, ordered an immediate investigation. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ravi Bhushan Srivastava, personally descended on the CHC with a team, inspecting rooms, questioning staff and perhaps wondering at which point basic medical logic had left the premises.
The probe soon uncovered that the patient had not even been given a government-approved rabies vaccine. Instead, staff had used an unknown needle imported from outside — a phrase that, in most countries, would trigger alarms, but at this CHC appears to be just another Tuesday.
Even more impressively, the prescription bore the name and signature of the in-charge Medical Officer, Dr Pankaj Kumar, who had not actually seen the patient. Another doctor had apparently prescribed the injection, raising questions about whether responsibility at the CHC is assigned by rotation, raffle or divine intervention.
Dr Pankaj Kumar, however, sees an entirely different story. “This entire incident appears to be a conspiracy,” he declared, suggesting there is a shadowy cabal dedicated to ruining his reputation by engineering mysterious injections. He graciously admitted that irregularities exist at the CHC — a statement roughly equivalent to acknowledging that water is wet — and insisted the government is preparing strict action.
The investigation also stumbled upon an impressive ecosystem of illegal clinics, pathology labs and ultrasound centres operating merrily without registration in the vicinity. The CMO promised raids, which may or may not inspire these establishments to suddenly discover shutters.
“A thorough investigation is underway,” Dr Srivastava said, vowing strict departmental and legal action against anyone found responsible. Given the CHC’s track record, this could apply to nearly anyone on the premises — or no one at all.
