One toilet for 1,750 patients, no doctors in emergency: Lokayukta raid reveals state of K C General Hospital

Bengaluru: There were violations and shortcomings galore at the government-run KC General Hospital during a surprise inspection carried out by the Lokayukta on Friday. 

Last week, staff and attendants delayed admitting a pregnant woman and let her in around 1 am only after receiving a bribe. For a hospital with a daily footfall of 1,500 to 1,750, only one toilet was in usable condition. There were no proper drinking water units or hot water for postpartum women. 

There were no doctors in the emergency wards. And doctors prescribed medicines for outside purchase although they were available in the hospital itself. The pharmacy stockpiled medicines that were otherwise listed as as-of-stock, the Lokayukta probe found. 

The surprise checks, carried out by Lokayukta BS Patil, along with Upa Lokayuktas B Veerappa and KN Phaneendra, followed frequent complaints from citizens and secret investigations. 

According to the Lokayukta, despite clear instructions to start attending to patients at 9 am, only one of the five doctors was present during the inspection, which started at 10 am. 

Only three of the hospital's 10 special wards were occupied, leaving others vacant even as patients sought treatment. The inpatient ward had few patients. The medical superintendent explained to Justice Patil that they had limited patient admissions due to staff shortage. 

Further checks revealed that the ECG machine at the pregnancy ward and a ventilator in the Child Intensive Care Unit weren’t working. The search operation also found substandard medicines being administered to patients. The hospital also did not have ABG medicines used during emergency situations. 

The Lokayukta found that some walls had developed cracks, from which water leaked. Many staff and doctors have been posted in the hospital for many years now. One of the doctors began his career in the hospital and will soon retire from the same facility. 

The hospital authorities also flouted several rules, such as maintaining proper attendance and cash register and disposing of expired medicines. 

The Lokayukta has summoned the medical superintendent and other officials for questioning.