Wheelchair woes hit Gandhi Hospital again

Hyderabad: Wheelchair woes have cropped up again at Gandhi Hospital with Dubbaka MLA Ramalinga Reddy's wife Sujatha complaining that the wheelchair was not given to her patient on time and they had to wait for it. A verbal  complaint was made by her to the Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr P Shravan Kumar.  

But doctors in the hospital state that Sujatha had created a ruckus in the corridor as the attendant took time to get the wheelchair. A senior doctor explained, “The MLA’s wife was not ready to wait. The ward boy had an elderly patient who had to be taken to the ward and she wanted the wheelchair immediately for her relative. The ward boy took time and others were also busy due to the hectic schedule.”

Gandhi Hospital has been given more than 1,000 new wheelchairs and there are also old wheelchairs which are lying in the store room. Due to the large number of patients at the hospital, the wheelchairs are in use every day.  

Another senior doctor explained, “We can’t keep wheelchairs in the corridor as we are not sure that they will be safe or kept in good condition. For this reason, they have to be kept back in the store room every day.”

Ms Sujatha’s relative has been admitted in the neurology department and was attended personally by the superintendent Dr Kumar. Now the superintendent is on leave and not available for comment.  

When contacted, Mr Ramalinga Reddy denied the whole thing.  “There was no problem. My wife has not registered any complaint.”