Maternal deaths: Govt caught in medical mafia’s grip, says Karnataka Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka

Belagavi: Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Tuesday charged that the Congress government was “caught in the grip of a medical mafia” as he lashed out at the spate of maternal deaths in the state.

Ashoka attacked the government in the Assembly where he sought to move an adjournment motion to discuss the maternal deaths in Ballari and other parts of the state.

Speaker U T Khader rejected the adjournment motion notice while assuring the Opposition that he would allow a discussion on the subject under a different rule. Khader also said that the opposition’s notice did not substantiate “administrative failure”.

Ashoka claimed that hundreds of people were dying in the state due to substandard medicines. “Expired medicines were administered to patients. Pregnant women are dying. This government is caught in the grip of a medical mafia,” he said.

Referring to a ‘substandard’ batch of Ringer’s lactate that was given to pregnant women in Ballari, Ashoka said the government should not have procured it in the first place. “There was a report six months ago that this shouldn’t be used. Then why was it purchased? There’s a big mafia to which this government has succumbed. If this matter isn’t discussed, then hundreds more will die and their curse will befall this government,” Ashoka said.

Ashoka said pregnant women had died in Belagavi, too, where the winter session of the legislature is underway. “Children have also died. What’s a more important issue than this?” he said in his attempt to convince Khader to allow a discussion.

“There should be justice for the pregnant women who died. This medical mafia should stop. This government should provide a guarantee to the lives of pregnant women,” Ashoka said.

Ashoka also raised a medical issue in Jayanagar, Bengaluru. “There’s a Muslim locality where a medicine costing Rs 30 is being bought from shops and people are jabbing themselves with it,” he said.