Hyderabad: In the state Budget announced recently, the Telangana government sought to restore the confidence of the people in the public health care system.
This incident comes as a big blow to that effort.
Unable to pay a bribe of Rs 150 for a wheelchair at Gandhi Hospital, Telangana’s biggest government hospital, a patient was forced to use his child’s mini-scooter to reach the doctor’s ward.
Raju, 33, has been awaiting surgery for a head injury for six months now. He had met with an accident in August last year.
“Earlier, we used to pay. But during our last three trips, we have been using our child’s mini-scooter. We are very poor. We cannot pay Rs 100-150 for a wheelchair each time," Raju's wife Santoshi told CNN-News 18.
Reacting to CNN-News18's story, state minister KT Rama Rao contacted the superintendent of Gandhi Hospital and asked him to intervene in the matter.
Raju was treated in hospital for two months after the accident and then discharged. The family was asked to arrange for blood before the surgery. Since then, every time the family visits the hospital, they are told that no bed is available.
"We have four children. We are facing a very tough time. Doctors say there are no beds. They ask us to arrange 4-5 packets of blood, saying the surgery can take place only then. We don't know many people here. What should we do?" she asked.
When hospital staff saw her talking to mediapersons, they were promptly provided the family a wheelchair.
Raju and Santoshi are now appealing to the government to help them in arranging blood and getting the surgery moved up.
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