Tumakuru<\/a> District Hospital on Wednesday night.<\/p>\nWhat Happened On Wednesday Night<\/h3>\n
The woman, a native of Tamil Nadu, had moved to Tumakuru a month ago. She was living in Bharatinagar along with her six-year-old daughter. The woman got labour pains on Wednesday night and managed to reach the hospital with the help of her neighbour, Sarojamma. At the hospital, she was asked to produce her Aadhaar card and Thayi (Mother) card, which she did not have. She was refused admission and asked to go to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, according to her neighbours.<\/p>\n
As she did not have money to travel to Bengaluru, she returned to her residence and delivered early in the morning. However, after the first baby was delivered, she developed complications and bled profusely. Unattended, she died along with her babies. Her elder daughter, who saw her suffer in pain, was helpless. Tumkuru District Surgeon H. Veena, who denied negligence, said the woman was taken inside the labour room. \u201cBut the woman refused examination and returned home,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, I have submitted a detailed report to the Health Commissioner.<\/p>\n
Cases Lodged, Staff Suspended<\/h3>\n
A show-cause notice has been issued to staff nurses Yashoda, Divyabharati, and Savita, and Dr. Usha, the obstetrician\/gynecologist on duty,\u201d she said. Placed under suspension Tumakuru District Health Officer (DHO) D.N. Manjunath, who admitted that there were lapses, said he had suspended the three nurses pending inquiry and recommended the suspension of the duty doctor, to the Commissioner.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe woman came with labour pain and should have been admitted without asking for any documents. This is gross negligence and action will be initiated against those at fault,\u201d the DHO told The Hindu. Furious over the inhuman attitude of the hospital staff, residents of Bharatinagar gheraoed Dr. Veena and demanded immediate action. \u201cGovernment hospitals are for the poor. If admission is refused in government hospitals, where do we go?\u201d asked Ms. Sarojamma, who had accompanied the woman to the hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe woman refused to go the hospital initially as she did not have money even to pay for the autorickshaw. I pooled in money and took her to the hospital. But the staff there did not entertain her as she did not have the cards. When I intervened and requested them to admit her, they asked me to go away and that they knew their duties,\u201d Ms. Sarojamma said.<\/p>\n
Congress and JDS Condemn the Incident<\/h3>\n
The victim\u2019s husband was not in Tumakuru<\/a> at the time of the incident, sources said. The victim has a six-year-old daughter. The incident has come under intense criticism from both Congress and the JDS.\u00a0 Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar visited the hospital on Thursday evening and took stock of the situation. Duty doctor Usha AR and three nurses have been suspended pending departmental inquiry, the minister added.<\/p>\nMeanwhile, JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy took to Twitter to slam the government. \u201cA while ago I tweeted about the dark side of state @BJP4Karnataka government administration (recession incident) which is drowning in politics, elections, and propaganda. But, a more terrible and gut-wrenching incident took place in Tumkur, which shook the whole of Karnataka(sic)\u201d he tweeted, demanding Sudhakar\u2019s resignation. \u201cIs mother card important, or the treatment? Life matters, or rules? @mla_sudhakar What is important? Is the rule mandatory for treatment that is not for corruption?\u201d,<\/p>\n
Congress attacked the minister.\u00a0 Condemning the tragic incident and holding the hospital authorities and Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar responsible for it, the Opposition Janata Dal (S) has demanded his resignation. \u201cThe doctors and staff nurses, who denied the hapless woman timely medical attention, should be dismissed from service. The Minister, who himself is a doctor, should step down immediately owning moral responsibility,\u201d party leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy tweeted<\/p>\n
Government Health System Failing<\/h3>\n
What a horrible tragedy.\u00a0 The entire health system in Karnataka and other parts of India needs to really introspect into why these totally inevitable deaths of the poor happen and they are turned away from hospitals in life-threatening situations because they are poor and helpless.\u00a0 Government hospitals should be helping the poor and needy instead of oppressing them.<\/p>\n
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