The Bihar government will provide quality medical care for free to those found infected with the coronavirus and extend an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of those who die from COVID 19, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday. Kumar asserted that his government was committed to preventing the dreaded coronavirus pandemic from spreading its tentacles in the state.
He said the governments recent decision to order the closure of educational institutions and recreational centres, besides reducing the daily attendance of employees at government offices, was aimed at avoiding large gatherings since "social distancing" was the most effective preventive measure.
He, however, frowned upon mass purchase of face masks and clamping of prohibitory orders in some districts, saying "there is a need for alertness, not fear and panic".
Speaking in the two Houses of the Bihar legislature, minutes before the proceedings were adjourned sine die, the chief minister said the government will bear all expenses for quarantining people arriving from severely affected regions and treating those testing positive for COVID 19.
"Funds for these purposes will be provided from the Chief Ministers Medical Assistance Fund. In the event of the unfortunate death of a patient, bereaved family members shall be entitled to an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund," he added.
Notably, the Budget Session of the Bihar legislature was scheduled to end on March 31 but was cut short after a decision was taken earlier in the day at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee headed by Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary.
The chief minister also told the bicameral legislature that his government was undertaking intensive screening of visitors at the airports in Patna and Gaya and 49 points along the Indo-Nepal border.
In addition, hospitals were being equipped with additional isolation hubs and 100 extra ventilators, he added.
Later, talking to reporters outside the assembly, Kumar said he was "appalled" to learn that many District Magistrates have imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in their respective areas of jurisdiction in view of the coronavirus.
"I have asked the chief secretary to issue instructions for lifting the prohibitory orders. It is a health crisis and not a law and order situation.
Earlier, the chief minister expressed his displeasure over distribution of masks among legislators, staff and journalists at the instance of Ram Chandra Bharati, an MLC of the Janata Dal (United) headed by Kumar.
Bharati, who had proudly told journalists outside the premises earlier in the day about distributing 1,000 masks, was left chastened with the chief minister questioning the move.
"It needs to be understood that not everybody needs to wear a mask. Only those who have caught the infection need to do so in order to avoid infecting others. Moreover, medical personnel who come in close contact with patients, too, obviously, have to wear these. But a person who is healthy does not need these, said Kumar.
He also said that masks, in the face of such an outbreak, remained effective for only six to eight hours and must be discarded thereafter with extreme caution.
You cannot simply throw these into the dustbin after use. If you do, you will spread the infection, he said and quoted experts to point out that masks must be incinerated or buried in a deep pit and covered with soil.
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