Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday spoke exclusively to India TV about the rising cases of coronavirus in the state and across the nation. Speaking for India TV's Swasthya Sammelan 2021, the Bihar health minister said that the state administration doesn't find any need to impose lockdown as Covid cases in Bihar are fewer as compared to other states.
Instead of lockdown and other coronavirus curbs, the administration is focusing on identifying cluster positive cases and are creating containment zones as per requirement.
Pandey said that the numbers are rising due to increased testing across Bihar. "We are testing more than 25-30 percent that the last phase. We are ramping up testing further," said minister Pandey.
He also said that to cater to rising COVID-19 cases, the government is preparing hospitals to admit maximum patients of COVID-19. Pandey said, "We have increased beds at Patna AIIMS and other hospitals. Dedicated COVID-19 hospitals will have more beds in the coming day."
On reports of front-line warriors not getting the necessary equipment to fight coronavirus, the state health minister said, "It is wrong to say that frontline workers are not being provided masks, gloves, PPE kits, etc in the state. COVID-19 appropriate behavior must be adhered to by people."
Through India TV's Swasthya Sammelan 2021, Pandey also addressed the issue of migrant workers returning from Maharashtra to Bihar. Maharashtra has the highest Covid-19 caseload that causing a threat to the state.
"People and migrant workers coming in from Maharashtra are being made to undergo COVID-19 tests in Bihar, we have to make sure that people return to their hometown safely and do not infect others, " he said.
"People who test positive are isolated immediately. Our aim is to break the chain of infection by testing more and more people returning to their home state. Quarantine centers at villages and block-level have been readied to test and treat people returning from other states," added Pandey.
Meanwhile, Bihar has reported 2,79,473 confirmed cases of coronavirus till now, out of which 11,998 are active cases. As many as 2,65,870 people have been recovered so far. While 1,604 have lost their lives.
