Gandhi Hospital Staff Refuses to Provide Wheelchair, Man Moves Around on Cycle

March 18, 2017 09:49

In a shocking incident, an injured man was forced to move around the hospital on a child's tricycle after hospital staff refused to provide the wheelchair.

The incident took place at Gandhi Hospital on Friday. The video went viral on social media. In the video, a man named Raju can be seen pushing himself on a tricycle. He became semi-paralysed after he sustained an electric shock in August last year.

Raju was a resident of Begumpet and a painter by profession. He had sustained injuries on both his legs.

He is very poor and was living with his family of five including his wife Santoshi. She earns Rs 1,500 per month by washing utensils in a neighbouring household.

"My husband lost the use of his legs after the accident last year. For the last 100 days, he has been admitted to Gandhi Hospital for treatment. He was put on the sixth floor, so every time we asked for a wheelchair the ward boy asks for Rs 50 or Rs 100. On Friday, we brought my child's tricycle to help him move around without having to pay a bribe," said Santoshi.

Raju's wife had accompanied him to the hospital on Friday. She pushed and pulled the cycle to move her husband around the wards.

"There was one ward boy Shamim who asked us for money for every visit of ours. I have handed my mangalsutra to a pawn broker to fund my husband's treatment," said Santoshi.

Raju needed to undergo surgery, but since he joined hospital, doctors have been saying that there was no blood available in the hospital.

"I lost my job due to the accident, I am not able to buy essential commodities for my family or myself. How can I pay Rs100 every time for the wheelchair? I got my son's tricycle for moving within the hospital," said Raju.

After watching the video, state IT minister K Taraka Rama Rao tweeted saying he would help. He also met the family and spoke to them and assured that they would be taken care of.

In-charge superintendent of the hospital Dr Majula said "I had not received any written complaint on the matter, but would still be investigating it. We are trying to trace who the culprits are and we will submit a report to the government for taking action. Also, the family has been called to come back to the hospital on Monday. Currently, we are conducting an inquiry into the matter and we will take action against those responsible."

Previously, on March 14, two ward boys of the TB and Chest Hospital were suspended when they demanded a bribe from family members of one of the tuberculosis patient. The patient, however, died during treatment the previous night.

The family members alleged that the ward boys and other hospital staff asked for money to provide oxygen to him after he was admitted there on March 13.