Cancer patient dies at Guntur hospital, relatives allege negligence

Guntur: Government General Hospital (GGH) is in the news, once again for all the wrong reasons. The sheer negligence by GGH staff had cost one more life on Tuesday, as a patient suffering from cancer died in the OP block waiting for hours even to get admitted.

Bharathi a native of Moturu village of Gudivada mandal in Krishna District came all the way to GGH along with her husband Saibabu, who is suffering from cancer with a hope of better treatment but their hopes were quashed, courtesy negligence.

On Monday night, when Saibabu's health deteriorated, the doctors at Government Hospital in Vijayawada suggested Bharathi to shift her husband to GGH, Guntur for better treatment. She took great pains to shift her husband to GGH but to her dismay no one even bothered to admit Saibabu.

She was passed from block to block, before reaching OP ward, where she had to wait for an unprecedented two hours. Even though OP starts at 8:30 am there was not a single doctor in the ward. Meanwhile, Saibabu’s condition deteriorated rapidly and succumbed to the deadly disease.

Speaking to The Hans India, hospital superintendent, Raju Naidu - a cancer specialist – remarked, “No one can say when the death happens in case of terminal diseases like cancer. We do not admit the cancer patients without doctor's referral. Cancer specialists in GGH are available only on call,” he added and stated that this particular case cannot be considered as a case of emergency.

It should be remembered that GGH faced criticism from all corners following death of an infant due to rodent attack. Even after the assurances from Chief Minister that the GGH will be overhauled, it seems a distant reality.