Upalokayukta B. Veerappa conducted a surprise inspection of the Taluk Hospital in Chikkodi, Belagavi district, on Thursday, pointing out a range of deficiencies in the facility.
During the visit, Veerappa toured key departments, including the blood bank and the medicine storage unit, and observed that the hospital was in a state of disarray. He spoke with patients to obtain firsthand accounts of the services and facilities available, noting that the conditions were far from satisfactory.
The Lokayukta expressed frustration that the hospital was not being maintained properly, despite government grants earmarked for cleanliness and upkeep. He instructed hospital officials to take immediate action to improve hygiene and general maintenance standards.
Veerappa also raised concerns about medication management, noting that patients were not receiving all prescribed medicines and that expired drugs were being dispensed. He ordered the establishment of separate medicine distribution counters for men, women, and persons with disabilities at the hospital’s pharmacy and demanded that the Health Department and medical staff rectify these problems to ensure quality treatment for the public.
The inspection was attended by Lokayukta Superintendent of Police Prasanna Desai, Additional Deputy Commissioner Vijayakumar Honakeri, Assistant Commissioner S.S. Sampagavi, Zilla Panchayat Planning Director Ravi Bangarappanavara, tahsildar R.R. Burli, District Health and Family Welfare Officer Eshwar Gadad, and other officials.
