Former Union Health Secretary K Sujatha Rao has lashed out at the government’s lack of priority in improving the crumbling healthcare system in India particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was after several embarrassing videos from across the country exposing the sorry state of Indian hospitals went viral.
Rao tweeted, “Osmania hospital has flood waters in the ward, Bareilly hospital’s roof collapses with a waterfall on patients and a Bangalore hospital has pigs roaming around the covid hospital. No wonder we are busy constructing temples. So much easier than managing govt hospitals. So shameful.”
Osmania hospital has flood waters in the ward, Bareilly hospital s roof collapses with a waterfall on patients and a Bangalore hospital has pigs roaming around the covid hospital. No wonder we are busy constructing temples. So much easier than managing govt hospitals. So shameful
— K Sujatha Rao (@sujakrao) July 19, 2020
Last week, as reported by Janta Ka Reporter, visuals of a waterlogged Osmania Hospital in Hyderabad had sparked fury on social media as Twitterati exploded in anger looking at the sorry state of a government-run healthcare facility. The hospital, believed to be the biggest government-run medical facility in Hyderabad, was inundated with water after a heavy downpour in the state capital of Telangana.
On Sunday, a video of pigs freely roaming inside a hospital in Gulbarga in Karnataka went viral. The hospital in question was dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients. The timing of the video coincided with Karnataka recording another 4,120 new COVID-19 cases taking the overall tally to 63,772 cases. The southern Indian state has recorded 1,331 COVID-19 deaths so far with 91 being reported on Sunday alone.
Pigs roam around the aisle of #Covid19 Govt Hospital in Kalaburgi/Gulbarga. Pathetic state of affairs in this govt Hospital. Deputy CM @GovindKarjol is the district incharge minister. pic.twitter.com/tKJV85mZG4
— Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) July 18, 2020
Another designated COVID-19 hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly was flooded as rainwater gushed through the roof. The video of rainwater pouring through the roof even as COVID-19 patients lay on their beds had gone viral on social media.
Crazy visuals from a #COVID ward at a hospital in west UP’s Bareilly . Rain water pours down from a hole in the ceiling as anxious patients look on … this is a L2 hospital functioning out of a private medical college … pic.twitter.com/GSWqwOAOlh
— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) July 19, 2020
The video had triggered a full-blown political backlash as opposition parties slammed the Uttar Pradesh government.