BENGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar on Wednesday morning visited Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, a designated Covid-19 hospital, in his attempt to “lift the spirits of doctors and patients”. While he was denied entry into the hospital citing quarantine norms, Shivakumar held a meeting with hospital representatives on the lawn outside. Later, he also visited Bengaluru Medical College and interacted with doctors and patients through video-conferencing. 

Shivakumar, who on Tuesday alleged that patients were being ill-treated at the hospitals, took an about-turn on Wednesday and lauded the efforts of hospital staff in extending care and facilities to Covid patients. “I do not want to find faults and make allegations. I have spoken to the patients and they told me that the facilities are good. My appeal is for ministers to come and visit hospitals, talk to patients and inspire doctors. They need our moral support,” Shivakumar said. 

He refused to comment on the allegations of misappropriation of Covid funds, lack of facilities, shortage of PPE kits etc, citing that he was on hospital grounds and did not want to talk about allegations. Responding to Shivakumar’s appeal to ministers to visit hospitals, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar pointed out that he has visited Victoria Hospital at least 12 times in the last four months. 

“Opposition parties that criticised the government over lack of facilities in Covid hospitals in Bengaluru seem to have finally realised the fact. The KPCC president himself has accepted that the government is doing a fine job and facilities are very good after he visited Victoria Hospital. My thanks to him,” Sudhakar tweeted.