Won’t perform the delivery until you pay Rs 15000; Lokayuta intervenes in the Yelahanka general hospital

Lingappa with his wife Manjula, who was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, had arrived at the Yelahanka General Hospital on July 15th. A Lokayukta official disclosed to TNIE that the couple were approached by a ward boy Waahid, on behalf of the gynaecologist Dr Ramachandra with a demand for Rs 15,000 in order to move ahead with the operation. The family were not in a position to make the payment and settled for an amount of Rs 11,000. 

The Lokayukta received a tip off from an individual named Mounesh, upon which they immediately reached the spot. By then the operation was complete and the exchange of cash had happened. After receiving the payment Dr Ramachandra did not even carry out the operation himself and directed his post graduation student Dr Guru Priya to conduct it. The police retrieved the cash from the ward boy and handed it over to the couple. 

The couple did not want trouble and hence refrained from filing a complaint. The Lokayukta took it on themselves to file a Suo moto case. They would make recommendations to the government regarding the case including taking strict action against Dr Ramachandra.