ARA SADAR HOSPITAL’S SHORTCOMINGS EXPOSED

ARA SADAR HOSPITAL’S SHORTCOMINGS EXPOSED

24-JAN-ENG 27

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------A picture of Bihar's health department has emerged that will leave you stunned. Six months have passed since the inauguration of the 100-bed 'Maternal and Child Hospital' (MCH) in Ara, but even today, this magnificent building remains locked.

On August 10, 2025, keeping in mind the assembly elections, Health Minister Mangal Pandey inaugurated this hospital with great fanfare. The public thought they would finally be free from the dilapidated maternity ward, but the reality turned out to be quite different.

The old ward lacks proper oxygen facilities and a medicine counter. There are no testing facilities, and chaos erupts during emergencies. Newborns' lives are at risk due to the open environment in the biting cold.

Due to a shortage of beds, several women are forced to share a single bed.

A staggering ₹21.79 crore of public money was spent on constructing this new building equipped with modern facilities. Surprisingly, even 6 months after the inauguration, the department has not been able to get electricity and water connections!

Civil Surgeon Dr. Shivendra Kumar Sinha says that the electricity department is laying the wires and the hospital is expected to start functioning by mid-February. The question is, if the preparations were not complete, why was the inauguration ceremony held 6 months ago?

An average of 40 pregnant women visit here daily; this blatant disregard for their health must stop.