Mayor Padmavathi loses her cool over poor state of affairs at BBMP hospitals

Bengaluru: City Mayor G. Padmavathi, who paid a surprise visit to hospitals maintained by the BBMP on Wednesday, was in for a rude shock.

Heaps of garbage strewn inside hospital compound, rusting operation theatre tables, dust-filled beds, dirty cots, dirty toilets and leaky water pipes were some of the issues that reflected the pathetic state of these hospitals.

Ms Padmavathi and Mr Anand Kumar S., chairman, standing committee on health, first visited the BBMP Maternity Home at Austin Town. Shocked at the poor state of affairs, Ms Padmavathi lost her cool and asked the workers whether they would keep their homes too dirty. “If this is how the maternity home is maintained, who will come here for delivery,” she asked.

When the inspection team headed to Halasuru Referral Hospital, heaps of garbage on the hospital compound welcomed them.

An angry Ms Padmavathi ordered BBMP officials to slap a fine of Rs 50,000 on the garbage contractor for not removing the garbage.

She also gave an earful to Chief Health Officer Nirmala and told her to immediately remove a rusted operation theatre table and replace it with a new one at the earliest.

She told the staff to provide better treatment for pregnant women and lactating mothers.

While there was no complaint related to infrastructure at the Primary Health Centre at Murphy Town, she was surprised that there were hardly any staff members. She told officials to issue show-cause notices to doctors and nurses who were absent.