Karnataka’s political landscape heated up Wednesday when BJP state president BY Vijayendra accused the Siddaramaiah administration of orchestrating large-scale corruption in drug purchases, resulting in widespread shortages across government hospitals.
Hospitals and medical institutions are starved of supplies, Vijayendra asserted, blaming state officials and ministers. He painted a picture of a procurement process hijacked by a influential Mangaluru resident, Wahab Khan, whose interference has led to contract splitting for corrupt gains.
Firms are deterred by 15-20% kickback expectations, stalling supplies and inflating costs to three times market rates, according to the BJP leader. He posed tough questions to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on the favoritism in tender allocations.
Ambulance crews from the 108 service, unpaid for nearly nine months, are protesting alongside medical staff neglected by the government. Vijayendra highlighted patients’ plight, buying exorbitant drugs privately, and alleged politically motivated closure attempts on Jan Aushadhi centers.
Diagnostic services grind to a halt with 143 crore unpaid to a private provider, endangering lives including those of pregnant women. The BJP chief criticized the government’s middlemen protection racket and evasion tactics, urging CM Siddaramaiah—boasting 16 budgets—to apply his expertise to these pressing health emergencies rather than deflecting blame.