Kumaraswamy slams Karnataka government for "poor handling" of COVID-19
Bengaluru, Jul 2 () Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused the BJP government in the state of 'failure' to protect the citizens from coronavirus as he referred to reports of deaths of a few patients after being allegedly turned away by hospitals.
In a series of tweets, Kumaraswamy also hit out at Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and ministers alleging that they were wasting their time in issuing contradictory statements instead of taking 'lessons' from the Kerala government.
"It is shocking to see COVID-19 patients being turned down by the hospitals due to lack of beds. The government has failed in its duty to protect the citizens," he said.
He claimed that Karnataka was suffering due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet and for the last three months Yediyurappa and his ministerial colleagues have only been talking even as the COVID-19 numbers were escalating.
"If the government doesn't get its act together, the day is not far when Covid patients would be condemned to die on the streets. We are already seeing heart wrenching stories of patients denied treatment."
He appealed to the government to consider the suggestions he had made earlier and asked it to rise above party politics.
His statement came amid rising coronavirus cases in Bengaluru and reported deaths of patients after hospitals allegedly turned away some, citing non-availability of beds or ventilators.
The state government has on Tuesday issued notice to nine private hospitals after a 52-year old patient with influenza-like illness symptoms died here on being allegedly denied admission by them citing "non-availability" of beds.
Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday said refusal to provide treatment was not only inhuman but also illegal as the government sought the response of the hospitals to the notices seeking to know why action should not be taken against them for 'violation' of provisions of Karnataka Private Medical Establishment (KPME) Act. GMS SS