Daijiworld Media Network – Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Jun 11: In an incident which occurred in the wee hours on Sunday June 9, Congress MLA representing Dharwad (rural) constituency, Vinay Kulkarni, assaulted a doctor of Karnataka Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) hospital here. Kulkarni reportedly alleged that the doctor in question, Devaraj Raichur,  was guilty of medical negligence, thereby causing the death of a girl. Reportedly, he was joined by his followers in this act.

Megha Hadimani (6) from Lakamapur in Dharwad taluk, who had been admitted into the hospital for treatment, had breathed her last.

It is said that Dr Devaraj Raichur, who went to Vidyanagar police station here along with some of his colleagues to file a complaint against the MLA and his supporters, was made to wait at the police station for 90 minutes, without registering his complaint. Devaraj said that he was later advised to contact police commissioner, B A Padmanayana in the matter, before the case could be registered.

When the doctor contacted the police commissioner, the latter asked him to speak to the MLA, who would be visiting his office, and try to settle the issue amicably. The MLA also told the doctor not to allow the issue to get complicated, it is learnt. Dr Devaraj said he was thereafter called by the KIMS director to invite him to a meeting arranged at the office of the police commissioner. He said that he was not aware that the person who visited the hospital at night and used abusive language at the staff was a MLA. “When I asked him his identity, he, along with his two supporters, beat me up,” he said.

At the meeting attended by KIMS director, Dr Vasantha Kamath, and MLA, Vinay Kulkarni apart from the said doctor, Dr Devaraj was prevailed upon not to proceed further in the issue. As such, the issue was settled through conciliation. Dr Devaraj said he agreed for the proposal as the MLA promised not to allow such incidents to recur, and to issue apology through the media. Dr Vasantha Kamath said that the issue was allowed to be settled out of court in the interests of the patients, without elaborating further. The commissioner said that the meeting held at his office was just a harmony meeting.

MLA, Vinay Kulkarni, insisted that he had visited the hospital, as the hospital staff had used derogatory language against the parents of the deceased child. He said that there were heated exchange of words between him and the doctor, but that he had never assaulted the latter.