Karnataka Lokayukta Conducts Raids on Government Hospitals in Ballari Amid Maternal Deaths
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Ballari, Dec 7 (NationPress) - The Karnataka Lokayukta's investigative team initiated raids on the Government Hospitals in Ballari on Saturday, focusing on a disturbing pattern of maternal fatalities linked to caesarean section deliveries.
The operation involved three teams from the state Lokayukta, which meticulously searched the Vijayanagara Institute of Medical Sciences (VIMS) and the Ballari District Government Hospital.
Under the leadership of Lokayukta SP Siddaraju, the teams examined the delivery wards as well as the storage areas within these hospitals.
In their investigation, they scrutinized the Medicine Department of Ballari District Hospital, collecting data regarding the intravenous (IV) and Ringers Lactate (RL) fluids that were utilized post-surgery.
Additionally, the teams interrogated health officials about the complications experienced by women after receiving IV fluids.
As of now, there has been no formal announcement detailing the findings of the Lokayukta raids.
In just one month, there have been five maternal fatalities reported from the Ballari District Health Hospital and one from VIMS.
Recently, Karnataka Upalokayukta Justice B. Veerappa mandated the filing of a case against the physicians associated with the District Hospital and Ballary Medical College and Research Centre (BMRC), in connection with the deaths of five women following childbirth.
A report was presented concerning this matter on November 29, which prompted the Upalokayukta to call for legal action against the implicated doctors.
Moreover, the Deputy Commissioner of Ballary district, the Chief Executive Officer of Ballary Zilla Panchayat, and the Commissioner of the Health and Family Welfare Department in Bengaluru have been instructed to submit a comprehensive report within a month.
On Friday, the Karnataka BJP lodged a formal complaint with the Lokayukta, urging an investigation into the maternal deaths occurring in the state, purportedly due to substandard IV fluids, and called for a judicial inquiry into the situation.
The BJP has also demanded prompt relief and compensation, accountability for those responsible, and extensive reforms in the healthcare system.
"We express our profound outrage and sorrow over the tragic deaths of numerous women in government hospitals across Karnataka due to the use of inferior-quality intravenous (IV) fluids. This incident signifies a severe failure on the part of the Congress-led government in Karnataka. The blatant negligence is compounded by efforts to conceal the facts," stated the BJP.
