Kurnool: Covid patients block traffic

Kurnool: Patients at Vishwabharati Covid Hospital at Penchikalapadu village near here staged a protest on Kurnool-Kodumur highway on Wednesday over lack of medical services nor basic facilities in the hospital

The patients alleged that they are not being supplied medicine, water for even drinking and no nutritious food is being served. They said there was no one to complain about their suffering. "Either it is morning or evening, no doctors or nurses would be available to look after us. We are being treated like lepers. What sin we have committed? Why are we being treated in such a pathetic manner?" said the patients.

The patients alleged that the state government is making a huge publicity that it was spending Rs.500 on every patient to serve nutritious food. But the ground reality is completely different to what the government is claiming.

Around 50 to 60 patients are lodged in a big room with no doctors or nurses available round-the-clock.

The condition of diehard prisoners might be better than ours, lamented the patients. They have been demanding authorities to ensure their welfare besides timely treatment, supply of adequate drinking water and nutritious food. If they are ignored then they would be forced to stage relay hunger strike, they said.

With the patients staging protest on the Kurnool-Kodumur national highway, traffic stranded for a few kilometres on both sides. The Nagalapuram police on learning of the incident rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. After an hour of protest, the patients called off and returned to their wards.

This is the second time the patients at the hospitals came onto roads to protest on the same complaints of neglect by hospital authorities. On July 28, the patients in large numbers staged a protest alleging that doctors or nurses were not attending them. They also complained of insipid food in place of nutritious food.

Not only at Vishwabharati Covid Hospital, similar incidents have also taken place at Santhiram Covid hospital recently.

The patients at the hospital alleged that they were being threatened that they would be handed over to police if they question about food and other facilities. The patients there also staged protests on July 21 on the premises of the hospital.