Union Minister Calls Hospitals Death Traps After 327 Maternal Deaths in Karnataka
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Bengaluru, Dec 7 (NationPress) Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday voiced his profound shock regarding the tragic loss of 327 women following childbirth this year in Karnataka, highlighting that the Congress government cannot evade accountability.
“This information provided by Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao has left me stunned. It is utterly disgraceful that women continue to lose their lives in hospitals, even in this modern age of significant medical advancements,” he remarked.
“Hospitals have turned into death traps for pregnant women in the state. The Congress government bears the full brunt of these fatalities. An investigation led by the sitting judges of the High Court is imperative. Immediate measures are required to revive the ailing healthcare system,” Kumaraswamy insisted.
“The state government, which claims to empower women financially via the Griha Lakshmi Guarantee, paradoxically facilitates the deaths of these very women in hospitals. Women who place their trust in government hospitals for childbirth are returning home not only without their babies but also without their lives,” Kumaraswamy asserted.
“The government health infrastructure in the state has completely deteriorated. Hospitals have become death traps. Women are succumbing due to substandard glucose and medications. It is alarming that nine women fell critically ill within just two hours after receiving an IV infusion of Ringer's Lactate at Ballari Hospital. Which company was responsible for supplying this infusion? Who is accountable?” Kumaraswamy questioned.
“What has the government been doing while inferior glucose and medications were being distributed for so long? Why has the Health Minister been neglecting such a vital issue? Was the minister unaware of the happenings within the department?” he continued.
He emphasized that the Health Minister's assertion, “I will resign if I am at fault,” is not satisfactory. Simply resigning will not address the issue. What is required is effective treatment for the ailing health department. Atonement holds more significance than mere escape. It is the minister's duty to rectify the department. The plight of these women cannot be ignored,” he stressed.
The issue of maternal deaths in government hospitals in Ballari district gained attention with the recent death of Sumaya, who was admitted to VIMS in Ballari on November 10. After undergoing cesarean surgery on November 12, she received IV fluids, leading to kidney complications that culminated in multiple organ failure. Despite undergoing dialysis, she passed away on December 5.
Prior to Sumaya, Rojamma, Nandini, Muskaan, Mahalaxmi, and Lalitamma also died due to post-delivery complications in Ballari district. These incidents have sparked widespread concern and outrage throughout the state.
