'Health minister is healthy, but his department is sick': R Ashoka attacks Dinesh Gundu Rao over shortage of medicines and doctors

'I have with me a list of 270 primary health centres (PHC) that the government is preparing to shut', Ashoka said.

Bengaluru: The Opposition BJP went after Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao in the Assembly on Thursday over the functioning of his department, particularly the shortage of medicines and doctors.

“The health minister is healthy, but his department is sick,” Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said, seeking to move an adjournment motion that Speaker UT Khader decided to convert into a discussion.

“Due to shortage of medicines, people across the state are facing problems,” Ashoka said. “I have with me a list of 270 primary health centres (PHC) that the government is preparing to shut. Doctors are being shifted out. This has led to dearth in villages: no medicines, no doctors,” he said.

Ashoka quoted the government doctors’ association as saying that patients are not receiving medicines on time. “The shortage has created pressure on doctors and is resulting in clashes with patients,” he said.

Former deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan claimed that there was a “medical emergency” in the state.