Did power theft by police staff result in death of 20 patients in Govt hospital?

20 patients including 8 children and 4 women died at the Government General Hospital in Kurnool It is said that the deaths occurred due to electricity disruption The hospital did not have power for more than 12 hours, senior doctor and resident medical officer too were not present Sources said that police personnel tried to draw the electric cables illegally which led to electricity disruption

With no senior doctor in the hospital and no power for more than 12 hours 20 patients reportedly died in the Government General Hospital in Kurnool.

20 patients including eight children and four women breathed their last at the hospital as there was no power between 7 PM on Wednesday until Thursday morning. The hospital did not even have resident medical officer when the fatal incident occurred. Out of the total 75 wards, 60 did not have power.

A senior doctor admitted on condition of anonymity that electricity disruption had caused the deaths, reported The Indian Express. Sources also said that there was no power problem in the hospital, but the staff of police outpost which is on the hospital premises hooked electric cables to high tension wires to draw electricity. This illegal act caused the power from the hospital to snap.

Hospital superintendent Dr J Veeraswamy told, “We made frantic efforts to get the power fixed, but no lineman was available until morning. It is the police outpost staff who are to blame,” reported Indian Express.

On hearing the news, Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas has sought a report on the matter from the hospital superintendent. However, the hospital authorities have not commented anything about the compensation to the families who have lost their dear ones or even about condolences. It has told that the administration will buy 20 inverters.