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The alleged incident took place on August 28 and was recorded by local residents, with videos later circulating on social media. The footage showed two patients carrying human waste in buckets after opening the cover of a sewage pit at the hospital.

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According to residents, the two men, from Hulagur village in Shiggaon taluk, had come to the hospital for medical treatment. They had contacted Vanitha, a nursing supervisor at the hospital, through an acquaintance and arrived on August 28.

It is alleged that Vanitha directed them to inspect a toilet where water had accumulated and determine the cause. The medical officer is also alleged to have asked them to clean the sewage pit, telling them they would receive better treatment if they did the work.

The men are alleged to have opened the pit after inspecting the toilet and found it filled with sewage. Using buckets supplied by the hospital, they began removing the human waste and carrying it outside.

The activity was noticed by residents after a foul smell from the premises reached nearby houses. Residents entered the hospital compound and found the two men engaged in the work. When questioned, the men said they were patients who had come for treatment.

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Residents then asked them to stop and confronted hospital staff. After an initial evasive response and growing public anger, a municipal vehicle was brought in and the sewage pit was cleaned mechanically.

Haveri district health and family welfare officer Dr Nagaraj said the sewage pit had been overflowing and that the hospital administration had sought help from the municipal authorities before the incident.

“The sewage pit on the hospital premises was overflowing. Administrative officer Dr Shankar Hiregowda had written to the municipal authorities on August 27, requesting them to clean it, but there was no response,” Dr Nagaraj told HT.

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He said action had already been initiated against two officers. “A suspension order was served against two officers, and an investigation was conducted. Serious action will be taken if they are found guilty after the investigation,” the DHO said.