Ailing woman’s desperate cry for help

Hyderabad: A 45-year-old woman, suffering from serious cardiac ailment, on Wednesday felt empty-handed as the officials in the office of the Health Minister failed to extend any aid to her Vallabhadas Kalamma was abandoned by her husband.She is in dire need of heart transplant. She had undergone angioplasty in Osmania General Hospital in 2009. Recently she developed heart related complications. When she approached a private corporate hospital, doctors said she required heart transplant.

She thought of taking advantage of Arogyasri scheme to get treatment. But she was denied medical treatment under the scheme because she did not have a valid white card. Kalamma, who hailsfrom Amangal mandal in Nagarkurnool district migrated to Hyderabad along with her son and is staying in a slum area at Karmanghat.

Kalamma said she had a ration card earlier, but when they shifted from the house, she did not get the address changed and the card got cancelled. She had approached the Health Department officials in the Health Minister C Laxma Reddy’s chambers for help.

Kalamma said, “The doctors at Global Hospital told us that Heart transplant would coast Rs 25 lakh. We have no property. We came to the Secretariat for help. Iam feeling suffocated. I would die if the heart transplant is not done immediately,” she said.

Talking to The Hans India, her son Narasimha Goud said, “We approached Chandrashekar Sir in Health Minister’s peshi. He told us a doctor from NIMS would come and check the health files. It would be done technically and not in a hurry. After waiting till evening my uncle asked a person in the peshi about the doctor. The person gave a rude reply and asked us not to harass us, we will keep your file aside and will not open it.”