Stranded patient: Clean chit to Victoria Hospital

Bengaluru: The Lokayukta gave a clean chit to the government-run Victoria Hospital Trauma Care Centre, which was charged with neglecting a patient on August 15.

A Kannada news TV channel had claimed that the hospital denied admission to a patient and left him waiting outside the hospital. Though the hospital special officer told Deccan Chronicle earlier that the information aired was completely false and the hospital had performed all necessary surgeries on the patient before discharging him, the TV channel continued to air a different version. The Lokayukta, who noticed the episode, had taken up an investigation, seeking clarification from all the parties.

After going through the patient's case sheet, Lokayukta Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty maintained, “The extract of the report clearly indicates that there has not been any negligence or indifference on the part of the concerned doctor of Trauma Care Centre of Victoria Hospital."

The patient, Prasanna, who was brought to the hospital on July 29, had been admitted with external and internal injuries and a fracture of the pelvic bone. He was in the hospital till August 11 and there were no complaints of bribe or medical negligence by the doctors. 

The Lokayukta also revealed that the patient’s mother maintained that the public instigated them not to get Prasanna admitted to the hospital till the TV crew arrived at the spot. “The doctor’s version that the patient refusing to come into the hospital till the media persons arrived was found to be true," he order read. 

The Lokayukta stressed, “It is unfortunate that unnecessary grievance is sought to be made out against the doctors who had taken care as expected of them.”