Ruchir writes on health, aviation, power and myriad other issues. An ex-TOI, he has worked both on Desk and in reporting. He over 25 years of broadcast and print journalism experience in Assam, Jharkhand & Bihar.
Articles by Ruchir Kumar
DoT flags 865 pending telcom tower proposals with Bihar govt
Bihar has the lowest tele-density of 55.81% nationally, as against the national tele-density of 84.43%.
Published on Sep 27, 2023 09:02 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Fight against filaria: Adverse events, refusal to take drug hampers drive in Bihar
All 38 districts of Bihar, which was endemic to lymphatic filariasis, reported 1.25 lakh cases of lymphedema (swelling of limbs) and hydrocele (swelling in the scrotum) in 2020-21.
Updated on Sep 25, 2023 09:14 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Will suspend 10 students for ragging, says Patna medical college principal
Patna Medical College Hospital principal Dr Vidya Pati Choudhary said the decision to suspend the students for 10 days was taken at a meeting of heads of depts
Published on Sep 22, 2023 04:41 PM IST
Bihar chief secy suffers brain stroke, in ICU
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar visited the Paras-HMRI hospital in Patna to check on chief secretary Amir Subhani, who suffered a brain stroke after a fall.
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 09:14 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Bihar chief secretary admitted due to brain stroke, CM Nitish Kumar pays visit
Amir Subhani was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the neurosurgery department of the Paras-HMRI Hospital late Thursday evening due to a minor brain haemorrhage
Updated on Sep 15, 2023 08:23 PM IST
Biometric attendance soon to be must for Bihar medical students: Officials
The Bihar University of Health Sciences has also initiated steps to set up an integrated command control centre at the university office in Patna to monitor online and through CCTV all academic activities across the 14 medical colleges under it
Updated on Sep 10, 2023 04:54 PM IST
Patna DM down with dengue; CM holds meeting as cases rise
Number of dengue cases in the state has risen to 295, with Bhagalpur reporting the maximum number of cases (105), followed by Patna at 102.
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 10:19 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
AIIMS-Patna to buys drones to supply drugs, vaccines, anti-snake venom
AIIMS-Patna executive director (ED) Dr Gopal Krushna Pal said the drone service is expected to begin early next year
Updated on Sep 04, 2023 04:30 PM IST
No end in sight for Bihar’s AIIMS row
PM Modi's claim of a new AIIMS in Darbhanga sparked controversy as the state government and Union health minister traded blame over the delay in construction
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 12:42 PM IST
Bishnu K JhaRuchir Kumar, Darbhanga/patna
Docs sore over NMC decision to curtail 3 depts from essential list at medical colleges
The National Medical Commission (NMC) has removed three departments from the list of essential departments for medical colleges, causing tension with doctors. The departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, respiratory medicine, and emergency medicine were removed, sparking criticism from experts in those fields. The NMC has also faced backlash for other recent decisions, including banning doctors from attending seminars sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and making it mandatory for them to prescribe generic drugs.
Updated on Aug 24, 2023 10:27 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Tejashwi writes to Mandaviya again to reconsider decision on AIIMS Darbhanga site
The Bihar government requested the Centre to reconsider its decision for granting expeditious approval to the alternate site proposed by the state
Updated on Aug 20, 2023 02:05 PM IST
Bihar restoring to power-shedding despite surplus, says Union power minister
Union power minister RK Singh said Bihar was among the three states in India that was still resorting to power-shedding, despite India having turned from a power-deficit to a power-surplus country over the last nine years.
Updated on Aug 18, 2023 09:42 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Inside the survey to enumerate India’s oldest fault line
Once the operative part of the exercise got off the ground, it became clear that enumerating 29 million households was no easy task
Updated on Aug 17, 2023 02:35 AM IST
Bihar caste survey: Govt mulls mop-up round for those left out
Interestingly, all 38 district magistrates (DMs), who are also the principal census officers, have already given written declaration to the general administration department (GAD), the government’s nodal agency, that the second phase of the survey for filling up pro forma on the 17-point socio-economic indicators, including caste, has been completed in their respective districts.
Updated on Aug 12, 2023 09:48 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
ICMR Patna gets nod for kala-azar drug trial
LXE408 is a tablet, believed to have better patient compliance due to a shorter regimen than the only available oral drug, Miltefosine, which is currently not being recommended as monotherapy
Updated on Aug 07, 2023 08:01 AM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Docs warn of boycotting OPD duty on Aug 18, 19
The Bihar Health Services Association has asked doctors to wear black badge to work on August 16 and 17 over its demands
Updated on Aug 07, 2023 08:02 AM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Trial on new Kala Azar drug to begin at ICMR’s Patna research centre
Bihar’s Muzaffarpur and Patna are the two locations in India the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), a Geneva-based organisation, has chosen to conduct the phase II trial of the drug
Updated on Aug 06, 2023 05:21 PM IST
Indigo flight to Delhi makes emergency landing at Patna
A Delhi-bound IndiGo flight made an emergency landing in Patna due to engine failure minutes after take-off; all passengers and crew are safe.
Updated on Aug 04, 2023 11:35 PM IST
Patna-Delhi IndiGo flight makes emergency landing minutes after take-off; all safe
According to information received from IndiGo, the airline accommodated all passengers on a separate flight
Updated on Aug 04, 2023 12:05 PM IST
Women more proactive to kidney donation in Bihar
In a male dominated society, the trend of women sacrificing one of their two kidneys for their loved ones, and the number of males benefiting out of the donations have only increased over the years
Updated on Aug 03, 2023 09:57 PM IST
Katihar protests: Lens on power transmission gaps in Bihar
Protests at Barsoi, subdivisional headquarters of Katihar district, turned violent, claiming two lives, as police had to open fire at the protesters on July 26.
Updated on Jul 29, 2023 09:25 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Bihar telecom dept seeks details from service providers over low usage of CBuD app
The CBuD mobile application was developed to prevent damage to underground assets by agencies undertaking infrastructure development work
Updated on Jul 16, 2023 10:08 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar I Edited by Shilpa Ambardar, Patna
Rain brings some relief, as govt claims no death due to heat
Hospital sources, however, said that 12 deaths, many related to heat, were reported at the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) and the Nalanda Medical College Hospital (NMCH) during the last 24 hours.
Updated on Jun 18, 2023 10:38 PM IST
Bihar bags third spot in best state category at 4th National Water Awards
Secretary of Bihar’s rural development department (RDD) N. Saravan Kumar and mission director of Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali Mission Rahul Kumar received the award from vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar and Union minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Updated on Jun 18, 2023 06:09 PM IST
Bihar: 118 ultrasound centres sealed in 6 districts for violations under PNDT Act
As many as 21 of the 97 ultrasound centres inspected were illegal in Bhojpur, 20 in Buxar, 14 in Nalanda, and four in Rohtas out of the 84 diagnostic centres surveyed
Updated on Jun 16, 2023 04:24 PM IST
400-bed DMCH block to be ready by Dussehra: Tejashwi
The decision to increase the number of beds at the DMCH comes a fortnight after the Centre rejected the state’s offer for a new site for the proposed AIIMS-Darbhanga at Ekmi-Shobhan bypass on the town’s outskirts
Updated on Jun 14, 2023 10:10 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
PC&PNDT Act violation: 22 ultrasound centres sealed in Patna as IMA rallies behind docs
Some centres were operational despite the expiry of the validity of the registration licence, some had shifted to other locations, while a few could not be located.
Updated on Jun 11, 2023 10:34 PM IST
NIRF ranking: Patna AIIMS 27th, only medical institute from Bihar in list
Over the last year, the institute has rigorously pursued recruitment of faculty, resident doctors, non-faculty staff and nursing personnel to ensure the doctor-patient ratio and faculty-student ratio was as per the norms prescribed for Institutes of National Importance (INI).
Updated on Jun 07, 2023 10:46 PM IST
Ruchir Kumar, Patna
Unit 2 of stage I NTPC Barh power plant may begin op this month: Official
NTPC Barh Super Thermal Power Plant unit 2 is set to achieve full load and undergo a 72-hour trial run before commercial operation, with Bihar set to receive an additional 383 MW of power. The plant's first unit began generation in November 2021, with the third unit expected to complete commercial generation by the end of the financial year. The NTPC Barh STPP has a combined installed capacity of 3,300 MW.
Updated on Jun 04, 2023 11:12 PM IST
Bihar issues final show cause to 62 absentee doctors in Patna division
Among the 62 doctors put on notice are three who have been absent since August 2016, one from October 2017, two from 2018, six from 2019, 21 from 2020, 19 from 2021 and 10 from last year.
Updated on Jun 01, 2023 09:58 PM IST
