Every work at Petlaburj Hospital carries price tag

​Hyderabad: No amount of hue and cry against bribery by government hospital staff is having an effect. The Petlaburj Maternity Hospital has now become notorious for bribery. The dayammas (ayahs) at the hospital demand Rs 1,000 to clean new born boy babies and Rs 800 for girl babies.

Madhupriya, a resident of Lal Darwaza from the Old City, was brought to the hospital and she delivered a girl baby on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Her husband, K Sampath who works as a salesman in a cloth store in Koti said, “The dayamma asked for Rs 800 to clean the new born baby and when I said that I could not afford she started using cuss words. Even when I wanted to pass on juices and breakfast the ward boy demanded Rs 50.”

There is a price for every work at the hospital, right from ayahs to security personnel demand money. If one has to visit patients they need to grease the palms of ward boys, to be allowed to see the mother it could range anywhere between Rs 50 to Rs 200 depending on the person and when the good news of a new born baby arrives, the price is: Rs 1,000 if it is a boy baby and Rs 800 if it is a girl baby.

The dayammas just refuse to clean the blood soaked baby unless the money is paid. It is almost like an unwritten law and this has been going on for a long time said a doctor on condition of anonymity. Many proud fathers readily pay the amount but being a government hospital a majority of patients come from poor backgrounds and cannot afford to pay. Rukmini, an aunt of a patient Balamma said, “We paid the money with great difficulty. We cannot afford but since it is a happy occasion we did, she said.

Sampath said that he found cockroaches under the bed sheet and when he complained to the ayahs and nurses they just did not take any action. He says, “There are all chances for the mother as well as the new born baby to catch infection as the surroundings are dirty.” Hospital authorities say that bed sheets are changed regularly and denied that the ayahs collect money by force. A doctor said that they do ask for baksheesh but do not force patients.