The lack of facilities and paramedics at several COVID facilities in Anantapur came to light when Urban MLA Anantha Venkatarami Reddy paid surprise visits to the premises on Monday.
The hospital was an ultra-modern facility to get added to the health infrastructure of Anantapur during the first wave of the COVID pandemic. The MLA, along with the GGH Superintendent K.S.S. Venkateswara Rao, visited the hospital after receiving complaints from several patients and their kin on the poor amenities.
The MLA found that there was no drinking water facility in the ward. The food for the patients did not arrive till 2 p.m., while it was supposed to be served before 1 p.m. “The Nodal officer for the food and Regional Director (Tourism) B. Eswariah had his phone switched off and the nodal officer for the SSH was not anywhere near to take care of these shortcomings,” the MLA told media after his visit showing the videos and photos of the premises.
“There is a paucity of paramedical staff as the COVID19 patients are being attended by their kin. No doctor is visiting the COVID Care Centre at JNTU, Anantapur situated next to the Super Specialty Hospital and the morale of the positive persons is low,” the MLA said.
The Super Specialty Hospital did not have sufficient gloves, despite the government sending all drugs and material, the nurses complained to the MLA.
Mr. Venkatarami Reddy spoke to Collector Gandham Chandrudu and asked him to set the things right. The Collector, along with the R&B Minister, were visiting the Hindupur Hospital at that time.