Left leaders oppose handing over of maternity hospital to MCT

Tirupati: Protesting the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT)'s move to hand over maternity hospital building to its office use, a rally was taken out in the city under the aegis of CPI on Thursday. Various women organisations also joined the rally strongly opposing the move and also to press the government to stop handing over the maternity hospital building to MCT in the interest of scores of poor women.

Tension prevailed at MCT office when the protesters tried to storm into the meeting of officials and Corporators. In the rally, the CPI and women organisations' members holding placards raised slogans against MCT and MLA and marched from Maternity Hospital to Corporation's Office, covering old maternity circle, Balamandir Road, Bhavani Nagar and Mosque Road.

They handed over a representation to Municipal Commissioner Anupama Anjali and sought her intervention to stop handing over of the building. But the Commissioner swiftly returned to the meeting hall without giving any proper assurance or clarification to agitators. Irked over the Commissioner's indifferent attitude, more than dozen leaders including CPI district secretary P Murali, Ch Sivakumar, Jalla Viswanath, Penchalaiah, RPI Anjaiah, Lakshmi (CITU), Sailakshmi (AIDWA), Sasikumar (BSP) and others stormed into the meeting hall where about 50 officials were sitting to discuss with the Commissioner. They loudly demanded officials and Corporators to spare the maternity hospital building for the poor women.

Deputy Mayor Bhumana Abhinay Reddy said they have not taken any final decision on it.

Speaking on the occasion, Murali said the Maternity hospital, the largest government hospital in the region, was opened in 1961 to serve the poor women of Rayalaseema districts. He said the hospital worth Rs 50 crore has two operation theatres with latest equipment, furniture, oxygen supply unit and ventilators, will become useless and moreover about 40 pregnant Covid patients in the building are undergoing treatment. Taking a dig at MLA, he said Bhumana Karunakar Reddy has been taking the decisions on his own as a despot without consulting opposition leaders.

Murali demanded the officials to call for an all-party meeting to take a final decision on the issue in the larger interest of poor women.