Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court expressed its displeasure over the mismanagement in government maternity hospital and gave Health Secretary Syed Ali Murtuza Rizwi 4 weeks to improve the conditions and submit a report.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shaoli said, “If you and we have any health issue we can avail treatment from Apolo or Asian Institute of Cancer. But what about the poor who are dying on the road.”
The Division Bench is hearing a PIL filed six years ago against the shortcomings and mismanagement in Koti Maternity Hospital and poor service to the patients.
The Division Bench had appointed Kiran Mai as its representative to tour the hospital and submit the report.
Kiran Mai visited the hospital on December 30 and February 8 this year and pointed out many shortcomings in her report.
There are 244 approved posts in the hospital out of which 157 are vacant. There is a staff of 87 including doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff. The number of beds has been 160 for the past 47 years and there is no increase,” Mai said in the report.
The report said that there are two blocks of 5 floors but there are many floors which are not in use. In one block only two floors are in use and the remaining three floors are empty.
The hospital staff demands Rs.5,000 to Rs.10,000 from the newborn’s mother and relatives to hand over the baby near the labor room,” the report said.
The report further said that the cleaning staff demands money from the patient’s relatives. The night shelter of the hospital is closed and there is no arrangement for the patient’s relatives to stay overnight.
The High Court bench said that the government’s claim about better arrangements in the hospital is untrue.
Commenting over the affidavit submitted by the Health Secretary, the Chief Justice said: “Your claims are far from the reality.”
The Court ordered the Principal Secretary to remove the shortcomings forthwith. The Government lawyer sought time for submitting the reply. “All the Government’s replies are 5 years old and there is no reflection of the current situation,” the Court observed.
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