Bihar Health Minister Nishant Kumar on 11 November 2026 conducted surprise inspections of two Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) in Patna — at Dariyapur and Shastri Nagar — to assess healthcare delivery ahead of the Chhath festival. The unannounced visits come amid heightened political activity in the state and are part of a broader push to strengthen urban health infrastructure.

What the Minister Found on the Ground

At the Dariyapur UPHC, Kumar interacted directly with patients and residents, reviewing the availability of medicines, healthcare infrastructure, and services. Several residents raised concerns about facility gaps, which the minister heard and directed officials to address. At the Shastri Nagar UPHC, he checked medicine stocks and sought patient feedback on the quality of treatment.

Kumar instructed officials to ensure that all essential medicines and facilities remain available and that no patient faces difficulty accessing treatment. He emphasised the need to resolve public grievances promptly.

Government's Broader Healthcare Push

Speaking during the inspections, Kumar said the government was 'continuously working to strengthen healthcare services in both rural and urban areas.' He noted that doctors were being deployed across health centres statewide and that efforts were under way to ensure a consistent supply of essential medicines. He added that the government was also working to improve patient facilities at super-speciality hospitals across Bihar.

Notably, the visits signal an administrative emphasis on frontline health delivery at a time when primary health centres in several Bihar districts have historically struggled with doctor absenteeism and medicine shortages — issues that have surfaced in state health audits in recent years.

Chhath Festival Medical Preparations

A significant portion of the inspections focused on medical preparedness for the Chhath festival, one of Bihar's largest public gatherings. Kumar said he had already inspected the ghats alongside Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and had issued instructions for healthcare arrangements at all major festival locations.

Doctors, nurses, and essential medicines will be deployed at the ghats so that devotees facing health emergencies receive immediate attention. The minister said the department's goal was to keep healthcare facilities fully functional — from hospitals to Chhath ghats — throughout the festival period.

What Officials Have Been Directed to Do

Officials of the Bihar Health Department have been directed to maintain uninterrupted medicine supplies, address patient grievances without delay, and ensure round-the-clock readiness at health centres during the festival. Kumar said the department remained committed to improving service standards across the state.

With Chhath drawing millions of devotees to riverbanks across Bihar, the adequacy of these healthcare arrangements will be closely watched by both health officials and the public in the coming days.