Activists, and civil society groups have demanded a thorough audit of emergency preparedness in all public hospitals in Telangana to prevent similar incidents.
Published Jun 01, 2025 | 12:09 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 01, 2025 | 12:09 AM
The incident, which took place on Saturday, 30 May, drew sharp criticism among opposition leaders and the public.
Synopsis: A Telangana government hospital sparked outrage after videos emerged showing medical staff treating patients under mobile phone torchlight due to a power outage and non-functional generators. In response, the state suspended the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, citing serious administrative lapses. The incident has prompted calls for a wider audit of emergency preparedness across public hospitals in the state.
A day after videos showing patients being treated under mobile phone flashlights at the Government Area Hospital in Zaheerabad went viral, the Telangana government suspended the hospital’s in-charge Medical Superintendent Dr V Sreedhar Kumar, citing serious administrative lapses.
The incident, which took place on Saturday, 30 May, drew sharp criticism among opposition leaders and the public.
With over 300 patients visiting the hospital daily, power outages and non-functional generators forced medical staff to provide emergency care in the dark, using mobile phone torches for light.
Former Health Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samiti leader T Harish Rao criticised the Congress-led government, saying, “If this is the condition of Zaheerabad Area Hospital, what must be the state of smaller rural hospitals? One and a half years of governance has collapsed. Poor people are being deprived of basic healthcare.”
ఒకవైపు కరెంట్ కోతలు, మరోవైపు ఆసుపత్రిలో ఉన్న జనరేటర్ పని చేయదు. చివరకు సెల్ ఫోన్ లైట్ వెలుతురులో చికిత్స చేయాల్సిన దుస్థితి.
300 పైగా పేషెంట్లు వచ్చే జహీరాబాద్ ప్రభుత్వ ఏరియా ఆసుపత్రి పరిస్థితి ఇలా ఉంటే, గ్రామీణ ప్రాంతాల్లో ఉండే ఇతర ఆసుపత్రుల పరిస్థితి ఎలా ఉన్నట్లు.
ఏడాదిన్నరగా… pic.twitter.com/rm1o4SKaXS
— Harish Rao Thanneeru (@BRSHarish) May 31, 2025
In response to the public outcry, Telangana Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha ordered an immediate inquiry.
A report by the Sangareddy District Collector and the Commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP) found that Dr Sreedhar Kumar failed to implement emergency response protocols during the outage.
“The failure impacted outpatient services and patient care, raising serious concerns about hospital preparedness and administrative accountability,” the Health Department said in a press note on Saturday.
The government stressed that negligence in providing essential medical services – especially in emergencies – will not be tolerated.
“Public hospitals are entrusted with the crucial responsibility of ensuring uninterrupted healthcare delivery. Any dereliction of duty by medical administrators will be dealt with firmly,” the statement said.
The Health Department reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of emergency preparedness, patient care, and administrative accountability in all government health facilities across the state.
Meanwhile, activists, and civil society groups have demanded a thorough audit of emergency preparedness in all public hospitals in Telangana to prevent similar incidents.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Sumit Jha)
