The son of a 55-year-old woman broke furniture at the government hospital Kalyandurg after she died there on Tuesday allegedly owing to non-availability of required infrastructure there and ambulance service to take her to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur.
Veerakka, of Malayanoor Village in Kundurpi mandal of the district, had allegedly consumed poison following a dispute between her husband and his brothers over a property.
Her family members brought her to the hospital, where, they alleged, the duty doctor was not present and two nursing staff members advised them to take her to the Government General Hospital in Anantapur as they did not have sufficient infrastructure to treat her.
When contacted by The Hindu , District Coordinator of Hospital Services (DCHS) N. Ramesh Nath said the patient was brought in at 12.30 p.m. and duty doctor Anita, who was in her quarters, came to the hospital immediately. She, however, couldn’t do much as the hospital lacked all the facilities.
Family helpless
When the family members dialled the 108 Ambulance Service, it did not arrive in time and they did not hire a private ambulance, said Mr. Nath. The Vaidya Vidhana Parishad did not have funds to take patients to referral hospital except in case of a pregnant woman. The patient died by 1 p.m., he added. The son, who the hospital claimed was inebriated, alleged negligence on the hospital’s part and broke furniture there.
The Kalyandurg Hospital incharge Ranganath registered a case with the Kalyandurg police and reported the matter to the DCHS.
