The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Relief for fourteen government hospitals

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Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Relief for fourteen government hospitals

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The State Government and several autonomous (erstwhile government hospitals) hospitals on Wednesday heaved a sigh of relief when the Lok Adalat recalled its earlier order of December 4, 2008, directing the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to initiate steps to close down 14 government hospitals in Bangalore.

A Lok Adalat bench comprising Justice K.L. Manjunath and Member Yellappa Reddy passed the order after the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department filed an application urging it to recall the closure order.

In his application, the Secretary, Madan Gopal, said of the14 hospitals, seven come under his jurisdiction. They are K.C. General Hospital at Malleswaram, General Hospital (Jayanagar), H.S.I.S. Ghosha Hospital (Shivajinagar), T.B. and C.D. Hospital (Indiranagar), Epidemic Diseases Hospital (Indiranagar), General Hospital (Krishnaraja Puram) and General Hospital (Yelahanka).

He said the remaining seven, including Lady Curzon and Bowring Hospital (Shivajinagar), Victoria, Minto and Vani Vilas hospitals (City Market), are attached to the Bangalore Medical College Teaching Hospital, and that they come under the Department of Medical Education.

Mr. Madan Gopal and Mr. Shankarlinge Gowda, who is the Secretary for Medical Education, promised the adalat that all steps had already been initiated to set up plants to treat biomedical wastes. They said temporary steps to contain pollution at the hospitals had already been put into place. They assured the adalat that they would ensure that the government released funds necessary for setting the treatments plants. Earlier, the petitioner S. Vasudeva, appearing on behalf of the Bellandur Taluk Panchayat, said the Health Secretary had moved an application for recalling the closure order.

KSPCB pulled up

The adalat came down heavily on the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for failing to implement its order. It sought to know how the KSPCB could on its own approve the treatment plants submitted by the hospitals and also be a party to recall the order.

It warned KSPCB that it could be hauled up for contempt of court. The adalat also directed the KSPCB to ensure that hospitals do not discharge biomedical waste directly into the sewers. The case was posted to January 20.

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