Govt to hold 2-day mega health fair starting today, Oppn says 'poll gimmick'

Leading opposition parties have questioned the government move to mobilise manpower and resources across the state to hold a two-day health fair at the Gyan Bhawan and the Bapu auditorium here, beginning Friday, and dubbed it a “poll gimmick”, even as the state health department is pulling all stops to make the event successful. Bihar goes to polls later this year.

- Ruchir Kumar

“There is little logic behind organising such a health camp in Patna, which already has five medical colleges - Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), Nalanda Medical College Hospital, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the ESIC Medical College Hospital - besides the Guru Gobind Singh district hospital, the Gardiner Road super specialty centre, Gardanibagh hospital, Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan Hospital among other health facilities in peripheries,” said Mrityunjay Tiwary, state spokesperson of the RJD.

“What was the need to convert a venue used generally for political functions and other events into a mini hospital, especially when the PMCH is barely 1km, while the NMCH and the IGIMS are within a 6km radius of the venue? The government would have done better by holding such camps at the district level in a staggered manner across the state, instead of confining it in Patna, at a venue used generally for political functions,” added Tiwary.