Patna,(BiharTimes): Amist protest from about half a dozen disciples of JP movement Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday laid the foundation stone of 500-bed Jaya Prabha Medanta Hospital.

Speaking on the occasion the chief minister criticized those who had gathered at the venue to protest against the state government’s decision to allow Medanta hospital to construct the hospital on the land of Jaya Prabha Hospital.

He said there is no need to create a hue and cry over the hospital’s name as it was associated with the name of JP and his wife.

Members of Jaya Prabha Bachao Samiti opposed the construction of hospital and demanded removal of Medanta’s name from it. They are getting support from RJD leader, Jabir Husain, who was the health minister in 1978 (in Karpoori Thakur government) when the foundation stone of Jaya Prabha Hospital was laid by the then President Neelam Sanjeeva Raddy. The hospital was formally inaugurated in 1980.

The chief minister lost his cool when some cameramen tried to take snap of those protesting before him.
Nitish, while promising all sorts of help to the hospital authorities, said people of Bihar would give all support to them. He hoped that once this super-specialty hospital comes up, patients would not be required to go out of Bihar. The first phase of work (100-bed) would be ready within two years.

Nitish asked Medanta CMD Dr Trehan Trehan to share his experiences and provide guidance to further develop PMCH, IGIMS and AIIMS-Patna.

He highlighted his government’s achievements in health sector. Free medicines are being distributed in all the government hospitals and there has been an increase in the flow of patients visiting primary health centres and government hospitals.

Those associated with the JP movement are opposing the state government’s move to handover seven-acres of land of Kankarbagh-based Jayaprabha hospital through a global tender process to Medanta the Medicity last year.

As per the agreement between Medanta and the health department, the former has to develop a 500-bed super-speciality hospital. The agreement says that 25 per cent seats would be reserved by Medanta for below the poverty line patients.

JP followers, however, believe that 25 per cent reservation of seats for poor people would not fulfil the purpose of serving the poor.

“JP conceptualised a hospital for the poor after his wife Prabhavati Devi had died battling cancer. When the government can spend around Rs 600 crore on the construction of Bihar Museum and another Rs 500 crore on the construction of Convention Centre, why cannot it spend money on the formation of a super-speciality hospital at Jayaprabha Hospital's land?" Jabir Husain, who was not present in the protest, asked.

Meanwhile, the chairman-cum-managing director of Medanta, Dr Naresh Trehan, who was present on the occasion, said that his hospital would offer the best of facilities at affordable rates.

He said that OPD would start in a year’s time and IPD in two years.
He said at least 10% of the patients at Medanta in Gurgaon are from Bihar.

Dr Trehan said 25% beds would be reserved for the poor. The Bihar government has fixed BPL rates. The hospital would adhere to it.

Health minister Tej Pratap too was present on the occasion.