K'taka Dy CM pulls up officials for Covid centre mismanagement

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwathnarayan on Thursday pulled up doctors and officials for mismanaging a Covid Care Centre (CCC) here.

"On a surprise visit to the 712-bedded facility on the University of Agriculture Sciences campus on Ballari Road, Ashwathnarayan had a first-hand experience of the problems faced by Covid patients at the centre due to the apathy of doctors and revenue officials," said an official.

Ashwathnarayan interacted with the patients, through a video link, to learn about their hardships, and several patients complained that doctors are not coming inside to treat them while their bed sheets are not being changed, toilets are left dirty and drinking water is in short supply.

"They are not just ignoring us but treating us with indignation," complained one of the patients.

Anguished by the patients' hardships, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the centre's nodal officer Rajendra Kumar Kataria to initiate action against the erring officers.

He also directed action against a woman doctor who arrived late for work right in his presence.

"There is no question of excusing you people for being so inhuman," said Ashwathnarayan.

However, he appreciated the facilities arranged at another centre set up at the horticulture hostel within the same campus.

Meanwhile, asked about Health Minister B Sriramulu's statement that "only God can save Karnataka from Covid", Ashwathnarayan said that this should not be misunderstood.

"The Health Minister must have said that let there be God's grace on all the work that the government is doing," he claimed.

As everyone is working hard to contain the pandemic, everything is fine in the state and if it was not so, the situation would have become far more serious, he said.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Karnataka crossed the 50,000 mark on Thursday with 4,169 fresh cases, while 104 more deaths pushed the toll to 1,032.