What CM Siddaramaiah missed: Hapless attendants living in the open at Victoria Hospital

BENGALURU: While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil paid a surprise visit to Victoria Hospital on Wednesday to inspect services, patients and families they came to check on remained neglected and out of reach. The CM walked through wards, met staff and reviewed services, but none of the patients or attendants TNIE spoke to, were approached. Surrounded by senior medical staff, police and security, the ministers were led through parts of the hospital, including out-patient department, delivery ward and other departments, but attendants waiting outside wards and patients at the OPD and pharmacies, said they werent allowed anywhere close. They came and left. When we tried to reach to highlight our plight, we were pushed by the police and security, said Jameel Kareem from Malavalli, who has been attending to his injured mother for the past 12 days. When TNIE visited the hospital two hours after the CMs surprise visit, dozens of attendants were seated on the ground, on staircases, or under trees. While acknowledging that services inside the hospital are good, many alleged that attendants are neglected. They said they had been living in the hospital for days -- some for over two weeks eating in the open, using public toilets, and sleeping wherever they could. Many attendants are either sleeping under trees, near ambulances or behind gates in Emergency and Trauma Care and in-patient wards, so they are accessible when theres an emergency. Despite Victoria Hospital having dormitory facilities for attendants, most people did not even know they existed. Some who knew and had asked, were told they were full. We are outside all day, and security tells us we cant sleep here or there. But where do we go? Manjunath from Hassan said, pointing out that at night, many caretakers try to sleep near the wards, but hospital security or police routinely ask them to leave, and that they wait awhile and return after they are gone. Charges for stretcher Multiple attendants also alleged that hospital staff or helpers often demand Rs 100 to provide a stretcher. If we dont pay, they just tell us to wait, said Rajendra, who had brought his father from Shivamogga, while others complained of long waiting times, especially in the OPD, and said basic communication from doctors remain missing.