Kumaraswamy slams K'taka govt for poor handling of COVID; alleges lack of co-ordination

Asserting that Karnataka was suffering due to lack of co-ordination in the cabinet, Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday accused BS Yediyurappa-led state government of ''failure'' to protect the citizens from coronavirus. Urging the government to act together, he said that if the government does not get its act together, the day is not far when COVID patients would be condemned to die on the streets.

Taking to Twitter, the former Chief Minister said that the state government for wasting their time in giving out contradictory statements regarding COVID-19 figures instead of learning lessons from the Kerala government.

Furthermore, Kumaraswamy also appealed to the Karnataka government to consider the suggestions he had made earlier and not to indulge in party politics in these testing times.

"I appeal to the government to consider the suggestions I made earlier and act accordingly. This is not the time for party politics." 

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This statement from Kumaraswamy comes after the Karnataka government issued a show-cause notice to 18 private hospitals for denying admission to a 52-year-old patient with influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms, who later died. According to the notice dated Tuesday, June 30, the patient named Bhawarlal Sujani died after he was denied admission by 18 private hospitals.

Sujani was taken to these hospitals on Saturday and Sunday for admission on observing some ILI like symptoms. However. none of these hospitals admitted him on the pretext of unavailability of bed/ventilators, the notice stated.

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COVID-19 cases in Karnataka

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Karnataka has so far reported 15242 total coronavirus cases out of which 7078 are active cases. 7918 patients have recovered from the infection and 246 people have succumbed to it.  

Following the upsurge of COVID-19 cases in the state, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, on Saturday also announced ta complete lockdown across the state on consecutive Sundays with effect from July 5. 

READ: Karnataka: Man dies after 18 hospitals ‘deny admission’, govt issues show-cause notice

READ: Karnataka COVID apathy: DK Shivakumar asks CM BS Yediyurappa to 'apologise to the nation'