Harish Rao demands quality healthcare and compensation to Banswada hospital victims

BRS leader T Harish Rao accused the Congress government of negligence after women developed serious infections following Caesarean deliveries at Banswada Government Mother and Child Hospital. He demanded a high-level inquiry, compensation, quality treatment for patients and action against those responsible

Hyderabad: BRS deputy floor leader and former Health Minister T Harish Rao charged the Congress government with criminal negligence over the condition of women who fell critically ill after Caesarean sections at the Government Mother and Child Hospital in Banswada. He demanded a high-level inquiry, action against those responsible and adequate compensation to the affected families, along with quality healthcare until their recovery.

After visiting five postpartum women undergoing treatment at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on Monday, Harish Rao said 10 women who underwent Caesarean deliveries on July 13 developed infections and were shifted first to Nizamabad and later to NIMS. He said five women, including Fatima, Ruksana, Jyothi, Lakshmi Priya and Sunitha, were currently undergoing treatment, with three of them in critical condition in the ICU, requiring dialysis due to severe kidney and lung infections and a sharp drop in white blood cell count.

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The former Health Minister stated that even after 10 days, no Minister, MLA or senior Health Department official had visited the patients or ordered a comprehensive inquiry. He said doctors continued performing Caesarean surgeries in the same operation theatre at Banswada despite patients developing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and fever after earlier procedures.

Citing allegations made by the victims’ families, Harish Rao said poor maintenance of the operation theatre, medical negligence and the alleged use of expired medicines could have contributed to the infections. He raised concern that infections contracted by the mothers had reportedly affected newborns through breastfeeding, forcing them to undergo treatment at Niloufer Hospital.

Accusing the government of neglecting public healthcare, Harish Rao said poor maintenance of government hospitals and the lack of healthcare essentials such as medicines and diagnostic services indicated the Congress government’s negligence towards government hospitals. He urged the government to ensure the best possible treatment for the affected women and their infants.

“During the BRS rule, institutional deliveries in government hospitals were increased from 30 per cent to 72 per cent and the maternal mortality rate (MMR) was reduced from 92 per cent to 43 per cent. But after the Congress came to power, institutional deliveries in government hospitals declined to 50 per cent and MMR increased significantly,” he said, castigating the government’s failure to provide KCR Kits, nutrition kits and the supply of nutritious food and milk under the Aarogya Lakshmi scheme.

Harish Rao also visited the minor girl from Khammam undergoing treatment at NIMS following an alleged sexual assault. He demanded Rs 25 lakh as compensation, stating doctors had indicated that the girl could remain wheelchair-bound due to paralysis below the waist. He alleged the government responded to the incident only after the BRS raised the issue.