HYDERABAD: A 21-year-old youth, depressed over death of his mother, died by suicide in Hyderabad on Friday. In a video, he alleged that the corporate hospital where his mother was getting treated for Covid ‘killed’ her by removing her from oxygen support and falsely claimed that she died due to cardiac arrest. His body was found in a lake near Brundanagar in old city. The youth was identified as Gilla Srihari, a resident of Kattedan and a graduate from Nizam College.
His 53-year-old mother Rukmini died on Friday evening. Grief-stricken Srihari took the extreme step even before performing the last rites of his mother. His father, a cancer patient, is undergoing treatment at Osmania General Hospital and is unaware of the death of his wife and son.
The desolate story of Srihari is a classic example of how the Covid has been trapping families in debt traps. According to sources, Rukmini tested positive for Covid-19 on April 25 and was admitted to a corporate hospital on May 1. Srihari was not satisfied with the treatment and shifted her to another hospital in the second week of May.
On May 18, after exhausting his financial resources, Srihari requested some good samaritans to start a fundraiser or secure a bed in Gandhi Hospital for his mother. “The hospital where his mother died, charged them between Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000 per day and insisted on payments every two days,” said Srihari’s friend, T Aswin. In his last video, Srihari was seen requesting his relatives to repay the loan amount of Rs 9 lakh by selling off their house.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call AASRA's 24x7 Helpline: +91-9820466726 for assistance.)