Bihar MLA questions Health Minister over state of hospital

Alinagar MLA Maithili Thakur flagged what she described as serious shortcomings at a government hospital in her constituency, during the Question Hour in the Bihar Assembly prompting an uncomfortable moment for Health Minister Mangal Pandey.

Thakur, responding to the minister’s written reply, which stated that the hospital only required repairs, told the House that she was dissatisfied with the assessment. She indicated that, based on her own visits, the building was in a severely dilapidated condition and could pose a safety risk, warning that an accident could occur at any time.

She further pointed out that the hospital was functioning from just one small room and lacked basic medical facilities. Thakur also drew attention to the shortage of medical staff, noting that although two MBBS doctors had previously been posted there, the facility currently had none, Free Press Journal reported.

The MLA said the official response did not reflect the reality on the ground and urged the minister to reconsider the issue. She clarified that her intervention was not meant as a personal challenge but as an appeal made in the larger public interest, adding that she respected the minister’s experience and requested him to review the matter afresh for the benefit of local residents.

Thakur later observed that while government records suggested the hospital was functioning adequately, the actual situation was starkly different.

Her repeated interventions briefly disrupted proceedings, drawing desk-thumping support from Opposition members and visible unease among some ruling party legislators, before the Speaker stepped in to restore order.

A video of the exchange, showing the first-time MLA openly questioning a minister from her own party, later circulated widely on social media.

Thakur, a well-known folk, classical and devotional singer, joined the BJP and won the Alinagar seat at the age of 25, making her one of the youngest members of the Bihar Assembly.