Hyderabad: Patient died failing to pay bribe of Rs. 150 to ward boys – Health Minister ordered probe

Hyderabad: BJP MLA, Mr. Prabhakar in Assembly raised the issue of two ward boys who failed to supply oxygen cylinder since they did not get bribe as a result of which patient had died.

Responding to his question in the Assembly during question hour, Mr. KT Rama Rao told that Health Minister Mr. Lakshma Reddy has already issued orders to conduct inquiries. He also informed that both the ward boys of TB and Chest Hospital have been suspended.

It may be mentioned that on 14th March the two ward boys Dhanajay Raju and Mohammed Nadeem demanded Rs. 150 as bribe for supplying oxygen cylinder to N. K. Krishnaya (30) who was a patient in the hospital. Since the family of the patient was poor, they could not afford to pay the bribe. As a result of non-supply of oxygen the patient died.

According to medical reports, Krishnaya was suffering from bilateral tuberculosis and both his lungs had collapsed.

Earlier, in the complaint, his wife, K Lakshmi stated that after the first oxygen cylinder which was supplied to her husband got exhausted, she requested for the second cylinder. Ward boys demanded Rs. 150 bribe for arranging it. Relatives of the patient told that they were poor and had no money to pay the bribe. Despite making request to arrange the cylinder, the ward boys did not supply it. In the meanwhile, patient died.

It is customary for the ward boys in the hospital to demand bribes from the relatives of patients. Those who pay it are looked after properly. This is the usual practice in Govt. hospitals.

–Siasat News