Drug shortages, absent doctors, fleecing staff: Lokayukta inspection 'exposes' sorry state of Victoria Hospital

Bengaluru: State-run Victoria Hospital is facing a dire shortage of essential drugs and an alleged shortage of funds to indent them, a surprise inspection by Lokayukta officials on Monday revealed.

Lokayukta Justice B S Patil, Upalokayuktas Justice K N Phaneendra and Justice B Veerappa were joined by six judicial officers, two superintendents of police (SP), four deputy superintendents of police (DySP) and supporting staff in four teams to inspect different wards and hospital operations in Karnataka's largest government-run medical facility.

Sources from the teams said that the inspection was based on patient complaints about improper treatment, absent duty doctors allegedly running private practices, doctors demanding hospital fees citing BPL card irregularities and the non-availability of essential drugs such as Aspirin.

During the inspection that began late in the afternoon, Lokayukta officials also witnessed there being no doctors to attend to many patients despite many waiting since morning. There were also issues with cleanliness, overflowing outpatient departments and PG students providing treatment in the absence of duty doctors, added credible sources in the know.

"Victoria Hospital does not have essential, life-saving drugs; we found a severe shortage. When the hospital administration was questioned about this, they told us that it was due to a shortage of funds," said Justice Patil.

The hospital is provided Rs 70 crore annually to procure drugs, which was reportedly cut by nearly 40 per cent this year, according to the hospital's Dean-Director Dr Ramesh Krishna.

Additionally, the Lokayukta found that the hospital had not paid an undisclosed amount in pending bills to the drug supplier, which led to the latter not supplying expensive drugs, leading to a shortage, noted the inspectors.

Earlier during the day, a team of policemen from the Lokayukta's intelligence wing also found a patient struggling on the footpath in front of the hospital during a secret inspection. No hospital staff had attended to him.

The Lokayukta contacted the hospital's dean, Dr Ramesh Krishna, and medical superintendent, Dr Deepak S, and demanded an explanation for these gaps in a detailed report, warning of disciplinary action if any dereliction of duty was found following enquiry. "The enquiry will go on until a people-friendly environment is created at the hospital," Justice Patil said.