Bengaluru: MLC V.S. Ugrappa, chairperson of the Expert Committee on Preventing Sexual Violence against Women and Children, and his team inspected both the accident spot and the government hospital which allegedly refused an ambulance and treatment to the dying three-year-old on Sunday night.
“It is an unfortunate incident. After inspecting the hospital, I suggested and directed the district health officer to take strict action against Taluk Health Officer Dr Jnanaprakash and ordered his suspension and transfer," Mr Ugrappa said.
His team found gross lapses of hygiene and other protocols at the hospital. “There is no CCTV, no security guard and only eight doctors for a 100-bed hospital. Also, how can you post just one duty doctor at night for a 100-bed hospital," he asked.
His team found out that not only the medicine stock board was not updated, but also the pharmaceutical shop was not open. “When we asked them the reason, they told us because of lack of staff and resources, they do not open it in the evening. But it was closed when we went there to inspect as well," he added.
Speaking of the duty doctor Dr Anitha, Mr Ugrappa said, “She is pregnant and how can you have a woman in her condition posted at night is beyond me! However, we will not take any action against her, but the THO," he added.
According to Mr Ugrappa, a few patients also complained of being overcharged for delivery. There was also a complaint by one of the new mothers that she was charged Rs 6,000 for delivery, but when being asked by the committee, the hospital denied it.
“At the end of it, in any hospital where more than 100 deliveries are taking place in a month, you cannot have such a small number of employees, bad hygiene and no CCTV. Action needs to be taken against the THO and it would be," he added.
His team included Leela Sampige, Rani Satish, Motamma, Sharanappa Mattur, Dr Vasundhara Bhupathi and former Director of Public Prosecution Renuka. Meanwhile, Rs 30,000 was given to the father of the deceased boy.
No ambulance for dead boy: Cops hunt for accused biker
The Anekal police have registered a case under IPC 304 against an unidentified biker, who hit the three-year-old Raheem at Karapur Gate on Sunday, and have started a manhunt to nab the accused.
Raheem, who was playing outside his house, died of his injuries after being hit by the two-wheeler and was declared brought dead at the Anekal Government hospital around 8 pm.
The hospital authorities, who let the father of the deceased child go without intimating the police about the Medico Legal Case (MLC), had orally informed the police two-and-a-half hours after the boy was declared dead and the police received MLC around 1 am.
The father of the deceased boy had to carry the body on a two-wheeler as hospital authorities refused to provide him an ambulance.
“As the parent had taken away the body of the child, it took us some time to trace him as we weren’t sure of his whereabouts. We found him in Electronic City with his friends from Assam. We took him and the body of the boy to the hospital for the post-mortem, which was carried out 10 am on Monday. Later the body was handed over to the parents,” the police said.
“A hit-and-run case has been registered and we are looking for that unidentified person who hit the child. We will soon arrest him,” Bengaluru Rural SP Amit Singh told Deccan Chronicle.
