Patients, attendants forced out at Minto Eye Hospital during lunch hour, director cites cleaning

BENGALURU: In a medical shocker, patients at Minto Eye Hospital in the city, the biggest government facility, are sent out of the hospital when the doctors are having their lunch, leaving the patients suffering.

The hospital is locked after the patients are sent out when the doctors are having their lunch and even emergency patients are not allowed in, but attended to outside itself.

The hospital sees hundreds of patients every day who come from far and near, but when it’s time for the doctors to have their foods, the patients are sent out and left to suffer in the open. Patients are even attended to inside the ambulance, but not allowed inside.

Shashikala, a patient, said they were asked to go out since cleaning was going on. “They should allow patients inside and not treat people outside”. Another patient said, “We don’t know what the problem is if the patients are inside. It is wrong to send them outside. They send everyone outside and lock the door”.

Ramachandrappa, another visitor, said emergency patients should be admitted irrespective of whether it is lunch hour. “This is not at all right to provide treatment to patients on th road. The sentiments were shared by many other patients outside the hospital.

Minto hospital director Dr Nagaraj denied that the hospital was locked.

However, hospital director Dr Nagaraj claimed that the patients are sent out during lunch hour as cleaning is also done during the same time between 1 pm and 2 pm. “Under the Smart City project, a shelter is coming up for the use of patients and their attendants”, he said. When asked why the main gates were locked, he denied it and claimed it was only latched. He also promised to take action if the door was locked.

“There has been no negligence. Before admitting a patient, they are examined outside in the ambulance. Only after that, they are admitted”, he insisted.