The Karnataka government on Saturday suspended the medical officer and an ambulance driver at the Kodigenahalli primary health center in Tumakuru district – about 130 km from the state capital of Bengaluru – after the death of a 5-year-old boy due to alleged medical negligence. The boy’s parents were reported to have complained that the doctors and ambulance driver were not available at the hospital when they brought their child for treatment after he fell into a sump near their home. In the midst of anger over the issue, the opposition had called for state health minister’s resignation.
As per Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar, the child was “brought dead” to the hospital. “Following the tragic death of a 5-yr-old boy, who was declared brought dead at Kodigenhalli PHC in Madhugiri taluk, the @Comm_dhfwka has issued notice to the Tumakuru Dist. Health & Family Welfare Dept along with suspension of a Medical Officer & ambulance driver in the matter
Earlier on Friday, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy demanded the resignation of the state health minister after the incident was reported. The child’s body was brought to former chief minister HD Kumaraswami’s Pancharatna Yatra, which took place in Kodigenahalli village on Friday.
In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy attacked the ruling BJP government and said hospitals in the state have “turned into death traps”. “There were two doctors in the hospital but they were not on duty. Although there was an ambulance, there was no driver. This is a cruel vision of the health system in rural areas. This is a mirror of the inefficiency of the health department,” he wrote.
The JD(S) leader also demanded that Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai should sack the inefficient health minister. “The government is the direct cause of this death; the health minister is responsible. If he has a conscience, he should resign immediately. If the Chief Minister @BSBommai has any morals then the health Minister should be removed immediately,” read another tweet.