Bengaluru: Pay for Covid treatment of patients in pvt hospitals, Siddaramaiah tells government

Bengaluru: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed concern over the second wave of Covid 19 and said that the crisis exposed the fragile public health care system under the present dispensation in State and at the Centre.

"People have become helpless without any medical treatment for Covid-19. India had a bitter experience during the 1st wave. Yet the government has not learnt any lesson. Remdesivir, widely used for Covid treatment, is not available. Why was the government not ready with the medicines?," he questioned.

"As the cases are surging there is a huge shortage of beds in hospitals in Bengaluru." The senior Congress leader said that there was also a shortage of normal and ICU beds, oxygen and other support system for Covid patients.

"The government is just busy solving internal crises rather than solving public health crisis. With government hospitals full, people are heading towards private hospitals for the treatment. Many are unable to afford the private hospital charges.

I urge @CMofKarnataka & @DHFWKA minister to make #Covid19 treatment free for all the patients referred to the private hospitals," Siddaramaiah tweeted. He remarked that it was unfortunate that the BJP leaders were only worried about elections but not administration.

"Why are @BJP4Karnataka leaders not following the protocols which they are trying to preach to public?" he tweeted.

Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had earlier clarified that the state government would decide on imposing a curfew and implementing other measures if the pandemic does not come under control in a week. However, he stated that there was no intention of imposing a lockdown.