BENGALURU: A pregnant woman who had to be shifted from the Ranebennur taluk maternity hospital to the district hospital in Davangere for emergency treatment, was forced to pledge her earrings to pay for fuel for an ambulance. Upset over this, the Lokayukta has cracked the whip on the authorities of the Health and Family Welfare Services.
Dhanraj Hanumanthappa Lamani, the brother-in-law of Sakhri Bai, the pregnant woman from Anksapura thanda in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district, brought the matter to the notice of Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty. Following this, Justice Shetty ordered the Lokayukta Superintendent of Police at Davanagere to conduct an inquiry into the incident which is said to have taken place on July 12, 2015.
The inquiry established that the ambulance driver Manjunath Parvathera forcibly took Rs 800 as diesel charge from Lamani when they arrived at Davangere. Lamani had to pledge a pair of earrings belonging to Sakhri Bai to raise the money.
The Lokayukta has now registered a suo motu complaint and issued notice to the principal secretary and director, Health and Family Welfare Services, deputy director and chief executive officer of the Davangere Zilla Panchayat.
Terming the act of driver as illegal, the Lokayukta also asked the authorities to take steps to refund `800 to the woman and credit it to her bank account within eight weeks.The Lokayukta also directed the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Services, to issue appropriate directions to all districts/divisions heads concerned with regard to a circular dated April 27, 2012 which says pregnant women are not liable to pay any hire charges. It is the duty of the doctors concerned to transport/organise to transport patients to bigger hospital whenever needed.
Findings of the Lokayukta SP’s inquiry
The doctor had not bothered to inform the patient about free transport under Janani Suraksha Yojana.
Ambulance driver did not heed to patient’s request and forcibly extorted Rs 800.
The complainant pledged a pair of earrings for Rs1,000 to pay Rs 800.
Dr Jayanand, District RCH Officer, Haveri, and Dr Mahesh B Baddi, DHO, Haveri, had conducted enquiry but had closed the enquiry ex parte by recording the statement of the driver only.
Dr P Shantha, Administrative Doctor at the Ranebannur taluk hospital, has not taken steps to implement Janani Suraksha Yojane.
Dr Shantha P, Dr Jayanand, Dr Mahesh B Baddi, Dr G Santhosh Kumar and ambulance driver Manjunath Parvatera have shown gross negligence and dereliction in their duties.