Hospital staff in Puttur protest against bribery allegations for post-mortem services
Puttur: Outsourced staff members of a government hospital in Puttur staged a protest on Saturday in response to allegations made by a social organization claiming that post-mortems were being conducted only after bribes were paid. The staff vehemently denied these allegations and clarified that they were merely accepting the allowances provided to them.
Expressing their outrage, the outsourced staff members, who assist the hospital staff with post-mortems, protested against the baseless accusations made by the Kaliyuga Seva Samiti of Chikkamudnur. They highlighted the lack of evidence and emphasized that they had been falsely accused of bribery. As a result, the staff refused to cooperate with the post-mortem examinations of two bodies at the hospital.
Two deceased individuals, Sharath Joshi (22) from Bellare, who passed away due to a heart attack, and Rajan (51) from Kollam in Kerala, who resided in Nattibail, Uppinangady, and worked as a cement ring maker, were brought to the hospital mortuary. The families of the deceased however, faced difficulties as the protesting staff members outside the hospital refused to cooperate with the post-mortem examinations.
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Puttur Taluk Health Officer Dr. Deepak Rai and hospital doctor Dr. Yaduraj engaged in discussions with the protesting staff in an effort to resolve the issue. The doctors appealed to the staff to cooperate with the ongoing post-mortem examinations of the two bodies. Subsequently, the staff members opened the mortuary door and proceeded with the post-mortem examinations.
Dr. Deepak Rai, the Taluk Health Officer, spoke to Vartha Bharathi, stating, "Only government employees have the authority to conduct post-mortems. Outsourcing is not practiced by our employees. We work tirelessly for meager salaries, driven by our commitment to serving humanity. It is true that we receive what is offered to us, but we do not ask for bribes. Nevertheless, baseless allegations have been leveled against us, prompting our protest and refusal to perform the post-mortems."
Dr. Rai expressed concern over the situation, highlighting the inadequate number of government employees available to conduct post-mortems. Out of the 34 posts in the B group, only two are filled, with three staff members working on an outsourced basis alongside the doctors for post-mortem examinations, and three staff members serving as assistants. Their remuneration is significantly low, and they often have to work during nighttime hours. Despite these challenges, the staff members have been dedicated to their work, contributing to the esteemed reputation of Puttur hospital in the district, he said.
Dr. Rai demanded that the accusers clarify who is allegedly receiving bribes and urged them to withdraw their unfounded allegations. He emphasized that the reputation of the hospital had been tarnished due to these accusations against doctors and staff members.
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KSRTC to run 1000 special services to clear Christmas rush
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1000 additional special services in view of the Christmas festival.
In addition to the existing schedule, the special services will run on 19.12.2025, 20.12.2025 and 24.12.2025. Further, special buses will be operated from various places of intra & Interstate places to Bengaluru on 26.12.2025 & 28.12.2025.
Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
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Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
The corporation has also announced a discount of 5 per cent on the fare if four or more passengers book tickets under a single reservation. A discount of 10 per cent will be extended on return journey tickets if onward and return tickets are booked simultaneously.
In addition to the above, special buses will be operated from all Taluk/District Bus Stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs.
