Security guard allegedly stitches patient at Bagaha Hospital, Video sparks outrage

Bagaha: A disturbing incident from Bagaha in West Champaran has raised serious questions over healthcare standards, after a security guard was reportedly seen stitching a patient’s wounds inside the operation theatre of Sub-divisional Hospital, allegedly due to a shortage of medical staff. 

According to the news reports, a video from the hospital has gone viral on social media, showing the security guard performing suturing on an injured patient inside the minor operation theatre. The footage has triggered public outrage, as only trained doctors and nursing staff are permitted to carry out such procedures in an operating theatre.

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The incident reportedly took place after victims of a road accident were rushed to the hospital. The accident involved a head-on collision between a tempo and a pickup van, causing the pickup to overturn and leaving several people injured. The tempo driver allegedly fled the scene, while local residents helped transport the injured to the hospital for urgent treatment.

The victims later alleged that their wounds were stitched by a security guard instead of medical staff.

They further claimed that while doctors were present at the hospital, staff shortage led to the unusual situation. They described the incident as dangerous negligence, stating that treatment by an untrained person could have put their lives at risk.

After the video sparked outrage, the hospital administration issued a clarification. Deputy Superintendent Dr Ashok Kumar Tiwari said the hospital has been facing a shortage of staff for a long time. He said posts of operation theatre assistants and dressers have remained vacant, forcing the hospital to function with limited manpower. According to him, the hospital has been managing most cases with the help of General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) staff. On the day of the incident, he said, around half a dozen seriously injured patients arrived at the hospital at the same time. Seeing that one patient was bleeding heavily, help from the security guard was taken under a doctor's supervision, he added, reports NDTV.

The incident has once again highlighted systemic issues in Bihar’s public healthcare infrastructure. According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services (2016–2022), the state faces severe shortages across multiple healthcare categories.

The report noted a 49% vacancy in key health departments, including medical colleges and hospitals. It also highlighted that Bihar has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios in India, with one allopathic doctor for every 2,148 people, far below the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of 1:1,000.

The report found that nurse vacancies ranged from 18% in Patna to 72% in Purnea, while paramedic shortages reached as high as 90% in East Champaran. It also stated that out of 24,496 sanctioned healthcare posts, 13,340 remained unfilled as of January 2022.

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