Opposition parties said government negligence on Monday evening at SVR Ruia Government General Hospital resulted in deaths from an interruption in oxygen supply.
Former TDP-MLA M. Sugunamma said a lack of technical knowledge and coordination led to the unfortunate incident. “It is time the government came up with a policy statement to fight the pandemic, especially as the demand for beds with oxygen systems grows exponentially,” she said.
Meanwhile, TDP leaders Mabbu Devanarayana Reddy, V. Sankaranarayana, Mahesh Yadav, Munisekhar Rayal, RC Munikrishna and Ravi Naidu were blocked by police when they reportedly went to hospital for updates.
To commemorate the start of the annual folk festival at Thathayagunta Gangamma Temple on Tuesday, TDP leaders held a demonstration in the shrine.
“Health Minister must stop”
Congressional District Chairman Fr Naveen Kumar Reddy called for the resignation of the Minister for Medicine and Health, Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas. The party called on the government to declare a “health emergency” in the state and requested an investigation into the incident by a seated High Court judge. “The government should pay the relatives of each deceased £ 25 in damages,” demanded Reddy.
Police dispersed BJP leaders G. Bhanuprakash Reddy, S. Dayakar Reddy and S. Muni Subramanyam when they were visiting the hospital to pay tribute reportedly to a deceased member of the BJP district unit Dalit Morcha. They claimed the government had arrested anyone who questioned its “incompetent handling of the problem”.
CPI National Secretary K. Narayana was arrested in Nagari while going to Tirupati to attend a party protest. City Unit Head T. Janardhan and others were also arrested by the police when they tried to hold a demonstration in front of the hospital.