Bengaluru: Mayor G Padmavathi, who paid a surprise visit on Wednesday to hospitals maintained by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), was shocked to see the pathetic condition at these hospitals. The negligence and apathy of the staffs at these hospitals made Padmavathi lose her cool.
Mayor Padmavathi, accompanied by Anand Kumar S, chairperson, standing committee on health, and others, visited the BBMP Maternity Home at Austin Town. The Mayor was shocked to see the layers of fine dust on the cots and windowpanes. The toilet was in such a bad condition and the hospital staff told the Mayor that BMBP authorities have not taken up repair works since 1947. “Keep it clean by utilizing the grants allocated for the maintenance of the hospital. I want the hospital staffs to relax the rules to enable the women from other castes who give birth at this maternity home to get modular kits,’’ Padmavathi said.
Later, on the way to Halasuru Referral Hospital, Mayor Padmavathi advised Anand Kumar S, chairperson, standing committee on health, and Chief Health Officer Nirmala Buggi, to fill up the vacancies at BBMP Maternity Home, Austin Town to provide better treatment for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The Mayor got the real picture of Halasuru Referral Hospital while entering it. There was heaps of dry waste on the hospital compound. A rude shock was waiting for the Mayor at the minor operation theater. She was baffled to see a rusted OT table. The Mayor directed the hospital administrator to remove the rusted OT table immediately and take measures to get a new one without any delay.
The Mayor tried her best to find out whether the hospital staffs demand the bribe from the patients. The replay as usual. The patients said the staffs were sincere and they did not demand the bribe. Angered over the leaky water pipes and heaps of garbage, the Mayor directed the hospital administrator to impose a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the contractor.
The next stop was at the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Murphy Town. There was no dearth for infrastructure since the PHC was renovated recently but the problem was it looked like a deserted building since no BBMP staffs were present when the Mayor visited it. Neither the doctor nor the staff nurse was present to help the patients. The Mayor was wondered to see a pharmacist distributing medicines to the patients by taking instructions from the staff nurse over the phone. The staff nurse was busy with her personal work and was not present at the hospital.
The Mayor had directed the health department official to issue a show-cause notice to the staff nurse for being busy with her personal work during duty hours, and a notice to the doctor for being absent.
Later the Mayor visited meat market and also visited a park near Murphy Town.
