News: Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)
Bantwal, Oct 1: Bantwal taluk members held a protest against the untimely death of grama panchayat vice president Shankuntala during her delivery at Bantwal Saraswathi Nursing home here. Protesters demanded action against doctors and the hospital on Saturday, September 28, whom they blamed for the death of Shakuntala.
More than 40 like-minded associations and political party leaders participated across party lines in the protest led by newly formed Bantwal Taluk Samajika Nyayapara Horata Samithi in front of Taluk office.
Protest march
Thousands of protesters walked in procession from B C Road’s Polali dwara in Kaikamba to the main road. They were holding black flags and shouted slogans against Bantwal Saraswati Nursing home and its doctors. It was followed by a protest meeting in front of the taluk office.
Protest meeting
Former MLA Padmanabha Kothari, Rukmaya Poojary, Zilla panchayat member Mamatha Gatty, Chandraprakash Shetty, former Zilla panchayat member Thungappa Bangera, Sulochana G K Bhat, Town municipal council president Vasanthi C, Campaign committee office bearers Dharmavathi Gowda, Banuchandra Krishnapura, Satish Arala, Honnappa Kunder, Krishna Allipade, labour leader Chandappa Anchan, B Thammayya, Abbas Ali and Devaraj Shetty spoke and urged the concerned for suitable disciplinary action against the hospital.
Taluk panchayat president Lalitha Shivappa Naik, Vice president Ananda Shamboor, member Padmashekar jain, Dinesh Umtoor, Town municipal council member Sadashiva Bangera, Vasu Poojary, Billava leader Harikrishna Bantwal, Mayilappa Salian, Zilla panchayat member Chennappa Kotian, BJP leader G Ananda, Ramadas Bantwal, Horata committee members Prabhakara Daivagudde, Kanchalakshi, Sanjeeva, Shivappa Poojary, Sesappa Kotian Pachinadka, Keshava Naik, Sheik Abdul Razak, presidents of various taluk organizations and office bearers, hundreds of women and citizens participated in the protest.
Committee president Lokesh presided over the protest meeting and said that the protest against injustice will continue disregarding differences of religion and parties. Protest committee secretary Sridhar Amin welcomed and thanked. Baby Kunder and D M Kulal conducted the programme.
The demands
The protesters demanded the highest possible compensation to the family of the deceased; A full fledged government hospital with maternity facilities in Bantwal, Regular inspection of government and private hospitals and action against loopholes and a committee headed by district commissioner with people’s participation were the demands of the protesters. A memorandum in this respect was sent to the government through the tahsildar Malleswamy. Taluk health officer Dr Manjunath, Police circle inspector Rajashekar B Mistry were present.
Promise of suitable action by taluk health officer
Taluk health officer who took the written request, promised that the matter will be discussed during district level health meeting on October 9 and suitable action will be taken against the guilty. He also said that a full fledged maternity hospital will be constructed in the hospital that is being constructed in Bantwal.