VIJAYAWADA: A tribal family was allegedly made to wait at Vijayawada GGH for more than five hours to shift their daughter’s body to their village. The issue came to light on Sunday after CPM leader Ch Baburao posted the issue on social media.
According to CPM leaders, Amulya belongs to Gannavaram village of Yatapaka mandal, a flood-affected village of Polavaram project, was suffering from illness and was treated in a private hospital at Bhadrachalam. As her health deteriorated, she was shifted to Government General Hospital, Vijayawada on September 28 and after two days of treatment, she died.
Though her parents sought an ambulance to shift her to their village, which is nearly 250 kilometres far from Vijayawada, the hospital staff refused and suggested them to hire a private ambulance. They reportedly said they cannot arrange a government ambulance as per rules to shift the body to a place in another district.
Meanwhile, Telangana CPM leader and former MP Dr Midium Babu Rao informed the issue to local party leaders, who took up the issue with the GGH superintendent. Finally, the hospital management arranged an ambulance and shifted the body to Gannavaram. Ch Babu Rao alleged that there were no sufficient Mahaprasthanam vehicles in GGH. Dr Sowbhagyalakshmi, Superintendent of the GGH, said that there was no provision to shift bodies to other districts.