Telangana: Auto driver loses livelihood after botched treatment at Sangareddy government hospital

A Sangareddy auto driver, K Sangameshwar, developed a severe infection after treatment at the local government hospital. After spending Rs 35 lakh and selling his house, he now risks losing his hand. He filed a negligence complaint and sought government help

Sangareddy: An auto driver’s visit to the government hospital in Sangareddy, the home district of Health Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha, turned his life upside down after alleged medical negligence left him on the verge of losing his left hand.

K Sangameshwar (36), a resident of Santhi Nagar in Sangareddy town, visited the government hospital on July 23 this year with severe stomach pain. He was administered saline and a couple of injections, but soon after, his left hand, where the saline was injected, began to swell. Alarmed, Sangameshwar showed it to the duty doctor, who reportedly advised him to apply ice, saying the swelling would subside.

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However, the swelling worsened over the following days. On October 30, he visited MNR Hospital, where doctors found that the infection had spread throughout his body and advised him to seek advanced treatment in Hyderabad.

Sangameshwar then approached a couple of corporate hospitals, where doctors warned that his left hand might have to be amputated to save his life. Desperate to retain his hand, he requested them to try an alternative treatment.

After two months of procedures, the infection was contained but limited to his left hand. Having spent Rs 35 lakh on his treatment, Sangameshwar was forced to sell the house he had bought with his lifetime savings. He said the chances of saving his hand remained slim. Unable to work for the past four months, his family has been struggling to make ends meet.

Seeking justice, Sangameshwar lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of the Sangareddy hospital, alleging negligence by the doctor and staff. He also appealed to Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha to sanction financial aid through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) and take action against those responsible.