'Don't back those who create hurdles in improving government hospitals'

Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar has requested the Opposition parties not to encourage vested interests who try to scuttle implementation of progressive plans to improve government hospitals.

He was replying to a protracted discussion on the McGaan hospital incident in Shivamogga where a patient was denied a wheelchair, in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. The issue pertaining to lack of infrastructure and hardship faced by patients in government hospitals was raised by the Leader of the Opposition Jagadish Shettar.

Intervening, the minister said it is a known fact that poor patients depend on government hospitals. And, there should be no differences between the ruling party and the Opposition while discussing such issues, he stated.

“As soon as dialysis, MRI and CT scan facilities are introduced in government hospitals, private hospitals become active. We have been able to overcome such hurdles and improve facilities in government hospitals,” he added.

The minister said the McGaan hospital incident has shamed the entire civil society. The government is aware that only action against employees belonging to the D group and nurses would not help in improving the system. Action would be taken against the management too, he assured the House.

Shettar said the McGaan hospital incident was inhuman. A woman had to drag her husband (Ameen Saab) for scanning as she failed to get a wheelchair. The system cannot be improved by suspending the D group employees, he added.

Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil said, “As many as four employees belonging the D group and nurses have been suspended. A departmental enquiry is on. Four employees who were on contract basis too have been suspended.”

The minister also said it is not correct to blame the entire government system, based on one or two incident such as the McGaan one. “Also, everything reported in the media need not be true,” he added. His answer did not go well with the BJP members C T Ravi and Basavaraj Bommai. The government cannot give such answer, was the argument of the BJP members.

Intervening, Prasanna Kumar, Congress MLA from Shivamogga, said, “Ameen Saab was not new to the hospital. He had taken treatment several times at the hospital. There are doubts regarding the six-second video clipping which shows the woman dragging her husband. Arrangements have been made to provide free medical aid to Ameen Saab at Subbaiah medical centre.”