KATIHAR, April 24 -- Ever heard of an ambulance carrying 17 people, including seven patients? In Bihar's Katihar, an ambulance, ideally meant to carry a single critical patient to ensure adequate space for medical personnel to provide continuous care and monitoring, was found carrying as many as 17 people, including seven patients and 10 attendants.

While district health officials have remained tight-lipped on the issue, the incident has raised serious concerns about the state of health services in the region.

According to the report, seven children under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) were being transported from the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Azamnagar-about 35 km from the district headquarters-to the district hospital f...