Kolar turns Gorakhpur: Why health minister Ramesh Kumar is silent on infant deaths in his home district?

Sri Narasimharaja District Hospital in Kolar has been witnessing alarming rise in death of infants Thirty-three infants have died in the last three months While chief minister has sought a report on tragic incident, health minister Ramesh Kumar has not reacted to it, yet

While his home district hospital is making news for all the wrong reasons - 33 infant deaths in three months in Kolar - Health Minister K Ramesh Kumar seems to be oblivious to it.

For, it has been over 24 hours since the alarming deaths of infants being reported from the Sri Narasimharaja District Hospital in Kolar, but the minister apparently has other priorities than the deaths of infants in his home district. According to a television channel, the minister was busy attending Kempegowda Jayanti organised in his district on Wednesday.

The minister's silence on the issue has angered the people of his district. For, Ramesh Kumar had jumped into action when the gross negligence of the doctors in Shivamogga's Mcgann District Hospital was reported. A woman was forced to drag her sick husband in the hospital corridor after the hospital authorities reportedly denied stretcher for him in Shivamogga. As the television channels broke the report, Ramesh Kumar quickly reacted and even took stringent action against the hospital authorities. But that was not the case to be in Kolar. A few members of Raitha Sangha resorted to flash protest condemning the silence of the health minister over deaths of infants.

Meanwhile, Meera C Saxena, acting chairperson of Karnataka State Human rights Commission and Kripa Amar Alva, chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights visited the hospital to take stock of the situation. The delegation found that the hospital lacked water, power and ventilation. The delegation is expected to submit a report to the government soon.

Even chief minister Siddaramaiah has sought a report on the death of infants in Kolar district hospital too. But the health minister has not bothered to at least take stock of the situation from the doctors, leave alone visiting the hospital and reviewing the situation.