Patna: Leader of opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Friday demanded health minister Mangal Pandey's sacking after video footage emerged of a man holding an infant and another man holding an oxygen cylinder for the child because they were allegedly denied a stretcher at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

When journalists asked Pandey was asked to comment on the controversy, the minister said: "Will I be held responsible even if a rat dies? A minister is not supposed to speak on every issue. You better speak to the department secretary or superintendent of the hospital."

Tejashwi claimed that ever since Pandey has become health minister, the department has become defunct.

"There is scarcity of ventilators, medical equipment and other infrastructure in the health department. Ever since Mangal Pandey has become health minister the raids conducted on medical stores selling fake medicines has almost stopped. It is a very serious matter because if we fall sick we will land in deep trouble if we consume fake medicine," Tejashwi said.

Tejashwi claimed that when his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav was the health minister, the maximum numbers of raids against fake drug rackets were conducted and that under Pandey the practice has been completely stopped.

The RJD leader accused Pandey of being in nexus with the mafia running the fake medicines rackets, and giving protection to them.

"These BJP leaders used to raise questions on my elder brother when he was health minister, and see the reality today. There is no stretcher in PMCH. Just imagine what would have happened if the oxygen mask would have been disconnected from the child's face. The Nitish Kumar government is not serious about the people of Bihar and the health department is running on God's mercy," Tejashwi said.

"It is a total failure of Nitish ji who has handed over such an important portfolio to Mangal Pandey, who is mostly busy in other states. Very soon we are going to come out with documents on how the department funds are not being used for the betterment of people. Nitishji should immediately sack Mangal Pandey from his cabinet."

The stretcher shocker comes on the heels of an incident in which a road accident victim, who was administered stitches under torchlight at the Saharsa sadar hospital, succumbed to her injuries.