Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal

Bantwal, Mar 5: Dr Nagalakshmi Choudhary, chairperson of the Karnataka State Commission for women (KSCW), visited various government facilities in the taluk on Thursday afternoon to inspect infrastructure and address public grievances.

Inspection of taluk government hospital

During her visit to the Bantwal taluk government hospital, Dr Choudhary took stock of the facilities and interacted with patients. District health officer (DHO) Dr Thimmaiah HR informed the chairperson that while the hospital maintains high standards of cleanliness, it has been struggling without a gynaecologist for the past five years, leading to a minimal number of deliveries.

Dr Choudhary assured that the shortage of doctors would be brought to the immediate notice of the deputy commissioner to ensure a swift resolution. She also interacted with the nursing staff and group-D employees to confirm the timely payment of their salaries.

Action against irresponsible staff

A significant moment during the inspection occurred when a local resident, Samad Kaikamba, complained that hospital staff were directing patients to purchase medicines from private pharmacies despite having stock. Although the DHO initially denied the claim, Samad provided documented proof of the lapse.

Taking immediate action, Dr Choudhary visited the medicine counter and discovered that the prescribed medicines were indeed available. She pulled up the staff for misleading the public. The staff claimed that interns had made the error, to which the chairperson issued a stern warning against such negligence in the future.

PPP model with AJ Medical College

The DHO further revealed a proposal to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AJ Medical College under a private-public partnership (PPP) model. This move aims to ensure that all specialised medical services are available at the government hospital. The plan is currently awaiting government approval.

Visit to counselling centre and Janashikshana Trust

Later in the day, Dr Choudhary visited the counselling centre at BC Road and lauded its functioning, describing its toll-free helpline as a model for the entire state. She emphasised that every woman in the taluk should be aware of the centre’s existence and feel supported by the government during times of distress.

She also met with Sheena Shetty and Krishna Moolya of the Janashikshana Trust to discuss women's empowerment initiatives. During an interaction with the Koraga community, a local woman named Sundari sang a song titled "Onti Onti Baalu Saaku, Oggattu Agabeku" (A lonely life is enough; we must unite). Dr Choudhary was moved by the performance and praised the trust for building self-confidence and self-respect among tribal women.

Karnataka state seed and organic certification agency chairperson Lavanya Ballal, guarantee scheme committee member Ida Suresh, and other officials were present during the visits.