Concern raised over delayed admissions at Wenlock hospital

Mangaluru: Dalits raised concern over delays in admissions at the Wenlock District Hospital, during the SC/ST grievance meeting held at the city police commissioner’s office on Saturday.

Referring to a recent case, Dalit leader SP Anand said that a patient, married about a year ago and diagnosed with second-stage cancer, faced difficulty in securing admission to the hospital. Anand said he took up the matter with MLC Ivan D’Souza and helped the patient obtain a BPL card. However, he alleged that doctors attempted to refer the patient to a private hospital with which they had ties. “The facilities at Wenlock are good, but getting admission has become difficult for poor people,” he said.

Responding to the concern, DCP (law and order) Mithun HN said the hospital’s capacity and related issues would have to be examined, while DCP (crime and traffic) Ravi Shankar K said the matter will be brought to the notice of the deputy commissioner.

Anand also highlighted the need to increase hostel facilities in rural areas, and pointed to confusion over mentioning sub-castes within the Adi Dravida community during school admissions. Representatives were advised to raise the issue with the social welfare department.

Meanwhile, Jagadish Pandeshwar referred to a recent incident near Hoige Bazaar, in which a man was allegedly forced to hand over his mobile phone, abused and threatened by unidentified persons. He urged authorities to address the targeting of people walking alone at night. In response, the DCPs directed Mangaluru South Police to intensify patrolling using sirens and top lights on patrol vehicles to enhance police visibility. The police inspector was also instructed to ensure CCTV cameras are installed in vulnerable areas.

Several other issues were raised during the meeting, including permission for quarrying activities, drainage issue, family dispute, and issues caused by street vendors near Lady Goschen Hospital and Nandigudda.

A representative also urged police to ensure authorities are informed when houses are rented out to people from outside the district. Concerns were additionally raised over minors allegedly performing wheelies during early morning hours in the Surathkal–Krishnapura-Katipalla area.

The DCPs instructed all police inspectors to hold regular station-level SC/ST greviance meetings and urged Dalit representatives to actively participate in them. DCRE Mangaluru Range SP Simon CA was present.