VISAKHAPATNAM : A general duty attendant at the Government General Hospital in Paderu, Alluri Sitarama Raju district, attempted suicide on Friday night (August 23), reportedly due to financial distress.
The attendant, identified as Bhanu, consumed nearly 40 tablets in a bid to end her life. She decided to take the extreme step as she was not paid her salary since March 2024.
Bhanu, along with 95 other hospital staff members, including nurses, technicians, ECG technicians, bio-medical engineers, paramedical staff, and ward boys, was transferred from the Andhra Pradesh Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (APVVP) Department to the Directorate of Medical Education, Andhra Pradesh (DME AP) on March 1, 2024. Since the transfer, these employees have not received their salaries.
Acknowledging the issue, Paderu Government General Hospital superintendent Dr Viswamitra said, “After they were shifted to DME, the department did not receive their budget allocations and bills. As a result, the APVVP stopped giving their salaries. Hence, the DME did not commence salary payments. Consequently, the employees have not received their monthly salaries since March 2024.”
Further, Dr Viswamitra stated that prompt action was taken by ASR district Collector AS Dinesh Kumar and Paderu ITDA Project Officer V Abishek to resolve the issue faced by employees. “On learning about the situation, officials directed authorities concerned to initiate the process of crediting salaries to employees’ accounts,” she explained.
She noted that all employees have resumed work, while Bhanu, who was hospitalised, is under observation. Her health condition is stable, she added.
Confirming the development with TNIE, Paderu ITDA PO said, “I spoke to the District Treasury Officer and instructed the GGH superintendent to upload all bills. The same has been done. The Treasury has cleared the bills, and the salaries are expected to be disbursed within a week.”
Suicide helpline
OneLife: 78930 78930, Roshni, Hyderabad-based NGO:
040-66202000