Karnataka Government Suspended Official And Ambulance Driver Amid Death Of A 5-Year Child

Following the death of a 5-year-old kid due to suspected medical negligence, the Karnataka government on Saturday dismissed the medical officer and an ambulance driver at the Kodigenahalli primary health centre in Tumakuru district, around 130 km from the state capital of Bengaluru.

The boy's parents reportedly complained that when they brought their child to the hospital for treatment after he fell into a sump close to their home, the physicians and ambulance driver were reportedly not there. The opposition had demanded the resignation of the state health minister amid its outrage over the situation. According to K Sudhakar, the health minister for Karnataka, the child was "brought dead" to the hospital.

Meanwhile, after learning of the event earlier on Friday, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called for the resignation of the state health minister. The child's body was taken to HD Kumaraswami's Pancharatna Yatra, which was held in the village of Kodigenahalli on Friday.

Furthermore, in a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy criticised the state's hospitals, claiming they have "turned into death traps." He claimed that his conception of the healthcare system in rural areas is harsh. This is a reflection of the health department's inefficiency.