The Karnataka High Court has cracked down on the government when it comes to COVID-19 management in the state. On Friday, the court has sought the government's response to the matter of a doctor being denied hospital admission in Bengaluru.
The doctor's death following admission being denied caused a huge uproar online. Many citizens took it as a sign of the deplorable condition of the city's healthcare infrastructure.
Karnataka HC takes government to task
The Karnataka government has been in a soup because of the pandemic and the trials don't seem to be ending. On Wednesday a doctor was denied admission by three hospitals and succumbed to COVID-19. He was denied admission on the basis of not having his COVID-19 test report.
This sparked a debate online on how such a case could arise. Many asked how a doctor could be denied admission. Three private hospitals refused to treat 50-year-old Dr Manjunath ST who was on COVID-19 duty at Chikkamudavadi in Ramangara.
After the first hospital denied him admission, the other two on the basis of the first one refused to admit him, TOI reported. Now, the High Court has directed the state government to publish all data on bed availability and has asked it to make it clear to hospitals that a COVID-19 test report shouldn't be asked for at the time of admitting a patient in the case of an emergency.
The division bench of Chief Justice Sreeniwas Oka and Justice Alok Aradhe heard a PIL on the matter. Netizens have been demanding action against the private hospitals who denied admission on Twitter. Many are also criticising the government for the matter.
A 50-year-old Covid-19 warrior doctor, who had been refused admission by three private hospitals Dr. Manjunath ST was on Covid-19 duty at Chikkamudavadi primary health centre in Kanakapura taluk, Ramanagara district Give value to human please.@BSYBJP @MoHFW_INDIA @Tejasvi_Surya"- @prafullchaube
Shame on us as a society. We clang pans in their honour, but in the time of need, let them die without any help."- @yogi_Londhe
Senior doctor was refused to admit by three hospitals before he succumbs to COVID19. This is the situation of doctors in a metro cities, can you even imagine the agony & sufferings of poors in rural areas? PM Modi fooled us with tali Thali & left us to die."- @DrHarjitBhatti
