Members of the ruling and Opposition in the Legislative Assembly alleged that National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) of Bengaluru and its director have not been responding to emergency medical cases and often deny admission to patients citing non-availability of ventilators.

During Zero Hour, Hartal Halappa of the BJP raised the issue of non-availability of ventilators in the hospital for the State’s patients and said the hospital denied admission to a gram panchayat member of Sagar taluk, who suffered brain haemorrhage, on the grounds of non-availability of ventilator. The patient was brought from Sagar to NIMHANS on Wednesday but the hospital denied him treatment, Mr. Halappa said.

H.K. Kumaraswamy (JD-S), A.S. Nadahalli (BJP), and several members of ruling and Opposition parties alleged that the director of NIMHANS did not respond to their calls on providing treatment and often cited non-availability of ventilators in the hospital.

Huge load

Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education K. Sudhakar said NIMHANS has a huge load of patients and patients from all southern States get admitted to the hospital for treatment. Though the State government provides ₹80 crore per annum for maintenance and other facilities, the Central government owned the hospital, which is facing a huge burden of patients from different southern parts of the country, he said.

Mr. Sudhakar said he had spoken to the NIMHANS director and the patient (GP member) has been shifted to St. John’s Hospital in the city.

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As members continued to seek redressal of problems at NIMHANS, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he would speak to the hospital director and make efforts to address the problems.