Karnataka Gynaecologist demands Rs 11000 bribe for conducting C-Section, Lokayukta cops recover money

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Lokayukta recently caught a gynaecologist at the Yelahanka General Hospital demanding Rs 11,000 bribe in exchange for conducting a caesarian operation on a 20-year-old pregnant woman.

The doctor is the Head of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department at the hospital who is reported to have taken the bribe from the family of the woman in advanced stages of pregnancy. Furthermore, it came to light that all pregnant women at the hospital were required to pay bribes before delivery.

The Lokayukta, an ombudsman institution set up to investigate and report any form of corruption by the state government and to redress public grievances related to state government employees could have caught the doctor accepting bribes red-handed if they had visited the hospital moments earlier.  

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Despite this, the body managed to take the money back from the possession of the doctor and returned it to the husband of the woman patient. 

The incident took place on July 15 when the woman was experiencing labour pain and visited the hospital with her husband for delivery. When the husband was about to admit his wife to the hospital, the ward boy asked him to pay Rs 15,000 on behalf of the doctor. 

The ward boy alleged that the bribe was required for the doctor to perform a C-section on the woman. However, the husband did not have enough money to pay the bribe. Therefore, he started bargaining and the amount was brought down to Rs 11,000. 

Despite their poor financial condition, the husband had to pay Rs 10,000 in hand before the surgery could begin. The rest was asked to pay after the operation. 

After careful observation, a visitor at the hospital took note of the incident and informed the Lokayukta. Based on the tip-off, Lokayukta directed the police team to visit the hospital for confirmation.

While investigating the matter, Lokayukta police DSP Pradeep Kumar who arrived at the spot found that the ward boy had already taken the bribe on behalf of the doctor and the delivery was done. “The operation had been completed by then and a baby girl was delivered. The money too had exchanged hands," as per TNIE.

However, after taking the bribe, the doctor instead of operating himself gave charge of the delivery to a PG student. The student was asked to carry out the delivery on his behalf.

Apart from this, the police team also carried out a probe at the hospital and found several irregularities which includes no clean bedsheets, bad food or medicines and negligence in the duty of the doctors. The probe was headed by Pradeep Kumar K M, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Karnataka Lokayukta, Bengaluru city division.

“The Lokayukta has taken suo moto cognizance of the matter and will file a case. We will recommend the right course of action to the government. Strict action will be taken against the doctor” the Daily source added.

After discovering basic amenities missing at the hospital, the Lokayukta filed a suo-moto against the hospital-making Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare; Director of Health and Family Welfare; DHO; Resident Medical Officer; and the gynaecologist as the respondents of the case, DH reports.

Moreover, the Lokayukta found that the hospital authorities failed to maintain proper functionality at the hospital, resulting in negligence. They found District Health Officer (DHO) and the Chief Medical Officer negligent about the happenings at the hospital. 

Following this, the respondents have been asked to submit a report within four weeks until the next hearing on September 15.

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