Ghastly Horrors in Government Hospitals in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

It needs a Herculean task, if not political will, to improve the deteriorating conditions at these hospitals.

- T. Rajagopalan

Can there be a more horrifying and distressing spectacle than a days old nakedinfant lying in a hospital, uncared for being bitten all over by red ants? This is what transpired to a 4-day old infant boy at a government hospital in Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on the 2nd of May 2015.

There were marks of injury on the body of the baby and family members, who obviously left the baby in the exclusive care of the hospital staff, said the infant perished pathetically because of the bitings of the ants.

Political leaders of the opposition parties gathered at the hospital premises and raised slogans, quite usual, to exploit the horrible state of the hospital.

Lakshmi, wife of Anniah, an autorikshah driver, gave birth to this ill-fated baby. The couple hailing from the neighbouring Guntur, for reasons best known to them, had arranged for the delivery in this hospital. As per them and their kin, a saline bottle that was hanging there fell on the infant injuring it. There were also other marks like rashes and bites on its body.

The Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas had ordered an inquiry into this gory incident, phoning from London where he was staying, when he was apprised of this heart-rending episode. Some statements may be issued later by the government functionaries and at best; the nurses entrusted with the task of caring the baby may be suspended only to be reinstated later after getting satisfied with their averments protesting their innocence.

A 16-year-old girl, who was set ablaze by her monster husband, an autoriksha driver, because she turned down his sexual advancement, battled for life in the Sri Venkateswara Ram Narain Rua Government hospital in the temple city of Tirupati in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, virtually the birthplace of the chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.