Medical services in K'taka hit as doctors protest
Bengaluru: Hundreds of private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics in Karnataka suspended outpatient services on Monday following a call by the Indian Medical Association to hold a day-long strike in solidarity with the doctors sitting on a protest in West Bengal.
The strike had a telling effect as people were seen struggling to get medical aid in private hospitals.
However, the government hospitals remained open as usual following a circular by the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare.
Health department sources said there was heavy rush at government hospitals since morning.
The IMA did not heed to state Health Minister S S Patil's appeal to keep the strike symbolic and not cause much trouble to people.
"Almost all private hospitals and clinics have shut their OPD services. Emergency and pregnancy cases were taken up," Karnataka IMA president N Dhanpal told PTI.
Prominent hospitals in Bengaluru which joined the strike were Apollo Hospitals, St John's Hospital, Narayana Hrudayalaya and Sagar Hospital, Dhanpal added.
Suresh Shastry, joint director, Health and Family Welfare Department, said the strike had no effect on government hospitals.
Junior doctors in West Bengal are on strike since June 11 after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured allegedly by relatives of a patient who died at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
In a show of solidarity with their counterparts in Bengal, medical practitioners across the country have chosen to keep away from work.
All the private hospitals and medical colleges in Dakshina Kannada have also endorsed the strike and have called off OPD services. Emergency and pregnancy cases were being taken.
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Woman throws speech-disabled child into crocodile infested river in Karnataka
Uttara Kannada: A 26-year-old woman allegedly threw her six-year-old disabled son into a crocodile infested river at Dandeli taluk in this district following a quarrel with her husband, police said on Sunday.
The couple often fought with each other over the condition of their elder son, who is speech-disabled since birth. They have another two-year-old son, they said.
Savitri's husband Ravi Kumar used to frequently quarrel with her over elder son's disability and questioned her as to why she gave birth to such a child. On certain occasions, he used to allegedly tell her to "throw the child away", police said.
According to the police, following a fight over the same matter on Saturday evening, frustrated Savitri allegedly threw her elder son into a waste canal directly linked to the Kali river which is infested with crocodiles.
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The neighbours alerted the police. They reached the spot and with the help of locals and divers, conducted a search operation to rescue the child. However, since it was dark, the police could not find the child.
On Sunday morning, the police managed to retrieve the body of the child with severe injuries, bite marks across the body and a missing hand indicating that the child was the victim of a crocodile attack, a police officer said.
The body was sent for post mortem to ascertain the exact cause of death, police said, adding a further investigation into the matter is underway.
"We have registered a case at Dandeli Rural Police station under section 109 and 302 of the Indian Penal Code and arrested both husband and wife in connection with the incident," the officer said.
