Two years after temple prasada killed 17, Chamarajnagar grapples with medical staff shortage

Mysur: It is exactly two years since the ghastly incident occurred on 14 December wherein 104 people fell ill and 17 died after they consumed prasada laced with poison at Kichguth Maramma temple at Sulwadi in Hanur taluk, in Chamarajnagar district. Even after two years, people of the region are yet to overcome the psychological trauma although their health has improved. Due to inadequate medical facilities at Chamarajnagar all the 121 victims were shifted to 12 hospitals in Mysuru for treatment. But even now, posts of over 50 percent of paramedical staff and ANMs are still vacant. They still have shortage of specialists including radiologists at the district hospital, and anesthetists, physicians, gynaecologists at taluk hospitals . Cardiology, urology, oncology and other specialists are on call.

The 300-bed Chamarajnagar district hospital 21 ventilators as against four when the tragedy struck two years ago. After signing an MoU with JSS Medical College, 200 more beds and four ventilators have been added to the hospital. They are in the process of acquiring an ambulance equipped with a ventilator in addition to the existing one. The construction of Chamarajanagar medical college is likely to be completed in next six months, and it will have another 450 beds and 50 ventilators. Kollegal taluk hospital has 150 beds with three ventilators and Gundlupet taluk hospital has 100 beds and three ventilators each. But no improvement in Yelandur taluk hospital which has 30 beds and three ventilators. After Hanur was upgraded as taluk, a proposal for setting up a 100-bed hospital was sent to the government. Hanur has a Primary Health Care centre.

In 2018, 12 hospitals in Mysuru had saved 104 victims of the temple tragedy. The State government paid Rs 1.26 crore to the 12 hospitals towards treatment cost of the prasada poisoning victims. 

Public prosecutor Lolakshi T H, who is handling the temple tragedy case, told The Hans India, that the Chamarajnagar district principal and sessions court judge had rejected the bail plea of all the four accused in the case, junior seer of Saalur Mutt Mahadevswamy, Ambika, Madesh and Doddaiah. The Saalur mutt junior seer's bail plea was rejected by the Supreme Court. The accused have currently been lodged at the Mysuru central prison. The trial in the case will begin on December 18.