Aged parents abandoned in hospitals; Govt to crack whip against families, return properties

KALABURAGI, BELAGAVI: The Karnataka government now plans to crack the whip against those who abandon their parents in hospitals after getting their share of property. Medical Education Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil has directed the authorities to cancel the wills and return the properties to the parents under provisions of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.

At the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), about 160 elderly people were admitted to the hospital and abandoned by their children of whom 35 were sent to old-age homes between January and March this year. Of the remaining 17, ten are women while the hospital authorities are making efforts to reunite abandoned seniors with their families after locating them. At other hospitals in other parts of the state too, there are about 100 such elderly patients abandoned by their children.

As per BIMS Resident Medical Officer Dr Saroja Tigadi, 16 senior citizens are in the ID ward, six in the surgery block and three in the BD ward. She, along with staffer Vidyashree have been taking care of the elders at the hospital. The issue came up during a review meeting the minister held at the hospital recently.

Among those abandoned include M H Attar, a lawyer, who has been in the hospital for the last one year. His family stays at Konawala Galli, but no one has come to visit him. Prashanth Ghorpade abandoned his father Vilasrao Ghorpade in the hospital four years ago and moved to a new house. As food and medical care is provided free of cost, children abandon their parents in hospital, sources said.

Minister Sharan Prakash Patil, who held a review meeting regarding facilities in hospitals coming under the Medical Education Department recently, has directed the managements to register complaints with the assistant commissioner in cases of abandonment of seniors.