Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 19: The Karnataka government has issued strict directives to cancel property transfers and wills in cases where children abandon their elderly parents in hospitals under the pretext of medical treatment. Authorities have been instructed to take action against such individuals, ensuring justice for neglected senior citizens.

With a rise in incidents of children deserting their aging parents in hospitals, the government has invoked the ‘Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007’. Under this, hospital directors are required to report such cases to the Assistant Commissioners of the Revenue Department, who will then initiate steps to annul property transfers and wills be executed in favour of the negligent children.

Medical education minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil, after reviewing reports from various medical institutions across the state, confirmed that hospitals have been witnessing an alarming number of such cases. At the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) alone, over 150 elderly individuals have been abandoned by their children. Additionally, more than 100 such cases have been reported across other medical institutions in the state.

Authorities presented a detailed report on the reasons why children are leaving their parents in hospitals. The findings revealed that after securing property transfers in their name, some children abandon their parents due to age-related illnesses, financial constraints, or in some cases, the belief that government hospitals provide free food, accommodation, and care.

To support these abandoned elders, over 70 retirement homes and old-age shelters in and around Belagavi have been providing them refuge. However, many elderly individuals continue to remain in hospitals, officials reported.

Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil stated that such inhumane acts of abandonment are being taken seriously. The government has instructed officials to compile a detailed record of such cases across the state. Children or relatives must provide financial and medical support to their aging parents, and officials have been directed to enforce legal measures against those who fail to do so.

"The government is committed to ensuring the dignity and welfare of senior citizens. Those who forsake their parents will face legal action, including the cancellation of property transfers and wills," minister Patil emphasized.