The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Rs. 1,000 to see newborn son

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 21, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rs. 1,000 to see newborn son

Staff Reporter

Corruption rampant at BBMP hospitals, say the people

Official fee for childbirth is Rs. 300; some are made to pay Rs. 600
Not many are aware that they can claim reimbursement for medicines bought outside

BANGALORE: “It is Rs. 1,000 if you want to see your son or Rs. 500 if you want to see your daughter. People come to our self-help group asking for loans so that they can pay this money. They tell us that the hospital staff refuses to show them their baby if they do not pay up,” said Chitravathi P., co-ordinator at Association for Promotion of Social Action (APSA).

At a grievance redressal session conducted by Civic Bangalore on Wednesday at Austin town, some women narrated tales of corruption in the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike hospitals.

Meant to serve the poor, a large part of the treatment is supposed to be free. A few months ago, Malar from L.R. Nagar slum went to a BBMP hospital with her sister-in-law, who was due for delivery. All she could find was one member of the cleaning staff, that too at 10 a.m. Many hours later, the doctor arrived. After the delivery, the hospital staff demanded that Malar pay them. “I have gone to corporation hospitals for my deliveries also. I know that I have to pay only Rs. 300. But this time, the hospital forced me to pay another Rs. 300,” she said.

About 20 days ago, Muniyellamma took her daughter for delivery to a BBMP hospital. Not only did she end up paying Rs. 900, her daughter was not provided any care. “We had to buy milk and even hot water from outside,” she said.

While medicines are to be given free as part of post-natal treatment, another woman at the interactive meet said that she went for an abortion to a BBMP hospital; she was asked to buy tablets from outside.

She, like many others present, did not know that she could claim reimbursement for any medicine brought from outside from the user funds that are established in every hospital.

Response

Responding to this, Vatsala from BBMP Siddaiah Referral Hospital said the prescribed tablets to be taken after abortion were in short supply at BBMP hospitals.

“We will ensure the availability of the medicines soon,” she said.

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