Mangalore: Khadar visits Wenlock hospital, stresses on better service, hygiene
Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Jun 15: “Respect patients who come to the hospital and treat them with humanity," said U T Khadar, Health and Family Welfare Minister during an interaction with health and medical officers, during his visit to district Wenlock Hospital here on Saturday June 15.
"BPL families who approach the hospital should be provided with free treatment, in case they require certain medications from other private stores, the money that they spend on medicines should be reimbursed. Problems faced by the hospital should be resolved at the earliest. The hospital should give special importance to cleanliness and hygiene. Wenlock hospital should be a role model to the state."
On this occasion, ZP member Mamatha Gatti complained about the poor implementation of ‘Madilu Yojane’ providing free kit to pregnant women where even the BPL women were being deprived of the facility. In response, Khadar said, “If a woman who has a BPL card at her maternal home she is eligible to receive the kit, overall it should be based on her economic status."
Lingappa Nanthoor of Dalit rights committee alleged that the death of Baby (27), BPL card holder, on June 13 was due to the negligence of doctors, and that there were no proper oxygen ventilators to treat her. "When she was brought to hospital there were no doctors and nurses to attend to the patient. Later, during the treatment, doctors demanded 38 bottles of blood and prescribed Rs 35,000 worth of medicines and insulin before being discharged from the hospital, but at the end the patient died," he said.
Reacting to this incident Khadar order a reimbursement of Rs 35,000 from the hospital to the patient's family and also ordered that such incidents should not repeat in the future. "If it happens again strict action will be taken against the person concerned," he warned.
Khadar also asked the officers to prepare an action plan for the hospital and said that the government is ready to provide any facilities.
"I will request the chief minister for funds to improve the infrastructure of hospital," he added.
Khadar also said that the MCC should hold awareness programmes on communicable diseases like malaria, and dengue for the Builders' Association. "If rules are not being followed their licence will be cancelled," he warned.
He also advised the hospital authorities to start a psychiatric department for better service.
The employees who work on a contract basis in the RCH programme demanded the minister to increase their salary and make their posts permanent.
On this occasion Madan Gopal, secretary of health and family department was present.
Later, Khadar visited the wards and interacted with the patients.
Talking to the media, Khadar said, "All medical students must work in rural areas. If they fail to do so, they will have to pay a huge fine. We are trying to make rural internship compulsory, and the proposal has been sent to the president for approval."