Recalling the incident, Justice Santosh Hegde said a tailor from Bagalkot had a son who had a defective lower intestine. The boy’s intestines were not developed due which he was defecating through his mouth. The father took him to the Hubli hospital where the paediatrician asked for a bribe to operate on the boy.

The parents could not meet the demand. The parents brought the boy to the Lokayutka office in Bangalore and expressed their helplessness to take care of their son. Hedge said he approached Manipal Hospital and got the boy operated. “Like any government department, I could have asked the parents to approach government hospitals in Bangalore. But I wanted to help and so I got the boy operated. He is fit and fine like any one of us. I wish I had a photograph of the boy which I would have happily preserved.”

Lamentation

Justice Hegde lamented that no government servant considers himself as public servant. A pediatrician ats a government hospital in Hubli was getting a salary of Rs 30,000. Following the implementation of pay commission recommendations, his salary went up to Rs 82,000 but he still continues to demand money from patients.