At a time when hospitals across the country are gasping for oxygen cylinders, vaccines and antiviral, a video has come to light that apparently shows a medical centre in Jharkhand has run out of even stretchers.

The video which was shared widely on social media on Monday evening purportedly shows two brothers wheeling out their father admitted in the ICU of Medinirai Medical College and Hospital in Palamau district of Jharkhand on a scooter for a Covid test in the absence of stretchers or trolleys to shift the patient into an ambulance.

“The patient, Ram Prasad, 55, was admitted on Sunday in the ICU of the hospital. He was supposed to be taken for Covid test on Monday at the testing centre which is nearly 250 metres from the block housing the ICU.

“The patient’s relatives had been waiting since morning to take him for the Covid test. But their patience ran out in the evening as they failed to get a stretcher or trolley. One of them brought their scooter inside the ward and made the patient sit between the two persons and then took him for Covid test on the vehicle,” said a hospital staff.

Sources said the two brothers were anxious to get their father’s Covid test done as it was mandatory for starting the treatment.

“They were anxious as without the Covid test report, necessary treatment of the patient could not be started. This made them rush their father to the testing centre after failing to get a stretcher or trolley man to shift him,” said the staff.

The Medinirai Medical College and Hospital was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 with an intake capacity of 100 students.

Hospital superintendent Dr N.K. Singh assured of a proper investigation into the incident.

“We are crippled with manpower shortage as several grade IV staff have tested positive for Covid-19. We will examine the CCTV footage of the incident and also find out the trolleyman deputed during that period. Suitable action will be taken against guilty staff,” said Dr Singh.

State health minister Banna Gupta, however, was furious after watching the video.

“I saw the video on Tuesday afternoon. Let me tell you it is very shameful and unacceptable. Merely passing the buck to grade IV staff would not do. The higher-ups need to answer how this happened. I have asked for an inquiry into the entire thing,” said Gupta.

Palamau deputy commissioner Shashi Ranjan, however, tried to downplay the incident.

“We saw the video. After a preliminary probe, it was found that there were stretchers and ward boys present. But due to the absence of security guard, the persons managed to bring the scooter inside the hospital and took the patient for a Covid test. It is not a big issue as it is being made out to be,” said Ranjan.