Vijayapura: In the absence of experts to maintain ventilators, the District Government hospital has handed over five of its ventilators to private BLDE medical college and hospital.

The district government hospital, which had been unable to use the ventilators due to a lack of technicians, claims that five ventilators could not be used for long because specialists to run and manage them could not be found. The district hospital has some 200 bed Covid care centre with 24 ICU beds.

Following the spike in the Covid cases, the entire Covid care unit is almost full of patients who either need oxygen support or ventilator support.

The hospital authorities stated that they have given the ventilators to BLDE for repair, however, it was confirmed later that the ventilators have been given to private hospitals in the absence of expert technicians.

Admitting that the ventilators have been given to BLDE, Sharanappa Katti, District Surgeon said that the machines were given based on the order by the district administration.

Claiming that the ventilators had remained unused for several months, he said that they were of no use in keeping it without having technical hands to take care of the machines.

Deputy Commissioner P Sunil Kumar said that the district administration has given the ventilators to a private hospital as per the government norms itself. No rules are violated, he said.

 He went on to say that the district administration will collect rent from the private hospital.

Asserting that saving the lives of people is important in every possible way, he said that if the ventilators could save lives being in private hospitals, it would be of great use as the government hospital has no expert to handle it.

He however made it clear that he has sought permission from the government and brought the matter to the notice of the district in-charge minister, Shashikala Jolle who is permitted to appoint technicians directly by the district administration itself.

“When we get out technicians, then we will take the ventilators back from the private hospital. Till then, they can at least keep working to save the lives of critically ill patients”, he said.