Bengaluru, Nov 29 (NationPress) In light of the unfortunate passing of five women post-delivery at two government hospitals in Ballary City, Karnataka's BJP has called for the resignations of both the Health and Medical Education Minister and urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to take swift action.
Senior BJP leader R. Ashoka remarked on Friday, “Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil must assume moral responsibility and resign without delay.”
Ashoka also insisted that a thorough and unbiased investigation into the matter be initiated, and that legal actions be pursued against those at fault.
“In the past ten days, five maternal fatalities have taken place at Ballary District Hospital and VIMS (Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences). Nonetheless, the report from the expert committee probing these incidents has been kept under wraps by the Congress government, leading to widespread suspicion,” Ashoka expressed.
Following these heartbreaking events, on November 16, the Karnataka State Medical Supplies Corporation released a directive prohibiting the use of Ringer Lactate Infusion supplied by a private company, he noted.
Ashoka questioned, “Is there a correlation between the maternal deaths in Ballari and this directive? Who is accountable for the provision and utilization of these substandard medications? By keeping the report confidential, whom is the government attempting to shield?”
“Despite this alarming incident that has left the entire state of Karnataka in shock, neither CM Siddaramaiah nor Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar has taken any measures or even offered their condolences. Additionally, the district in-charge minister, Zameer Ahmad Khan, has yet to visit the district,” Ashoka criticized.
The residents of Karnataka's Ballary and surrounding Vijayanagar district have expressed their anger towards the authorities following the demise of five women in just 10 to 15 days. The women were admitted to the District Government Hospital in Ballary city, and Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS).
It has been alleged that these deaths were due to the negligence of hospital personnel. Among the five deceased women, four had undergone cesarean sections at the Ballary District Hospital.
The families and community members are questioning the absence of Zameer Ahmed Khan, the Minister for Waqf and Housing and the District In-Charge for Ballary. They are also voicing concerns regarding the silence of representatives from the Ballary region.
District In-Charge Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan has indicated that he will first gather information regarding the maternal deaths from officials rather than proactively addressing the issue.
Four women in their post-pregnancy period succumbed within 10-15 days at the Ballary Government District Hospital.
Mahalaxmi, 20, is the most recent victim. A resident of CS Pura in the neighboring Vijayapura district, she was admitted to VIMS after experiencing labor pains. Mahalaxmi delivered a child through normal procedures on Sunday, but tragically succumbed to severe bleeding and infection by Wednesday.
The parents of the deceased have alleged that the doctors' negligence caused their daughter's death and are demanding accountability.
BIMS Director Dr. Gangadhar Gowda stated that Mahalaxmi was suffering from anemia. She had previously received treatment at a hospital in Kudligi and was later admitted to the BIMS. Upon her admission, she was not stable, and the family was informed of potential risks ahead of delivery. “We have done our utmost, but Mahalaxmi succumbed to her health issues,” he remarked.
However, Mahalaxmi's parents assert that their daughter was in good health prior to the incident. They maintain that she experienced significant blood loss after childbirth and received 18 pints of blood, indicating negligence on the doctors' part.
On November 9, cesarean surgeries were performed on 14 pregnant women at the Ballary District Hospital. Among these, seven developed complications, and within a week, four of them passed away. The deceased have been identified as Lalitamma, Rojamma, Nandini, and Muskaan.
The series of fatalities has raised alarm among lower-income groups who cannot afford private healthcare and rely on government facilities. The hospital authorities are claiming that the deaths were due to complications associated with the women's health, attempting to absolve themselves of responsibility.
