Government Hospitals in Remote Telangana District Deliver Key Medical Care to Patients

A woman from Andhra Pradesh travelled across state borders to a government hospital in Telangana's Bhadradri Kothagudem district to receive complex nose surgery after private clinics demanded high fees and local facilities made her wait months. Meghana, living in Busireddypalli village inside Veerapunayunipalli mandal of YSR Kadapa district, suffered from severe sinus issues and a blocked nose due to tissue growth. Her family, headed by a single mother, could not afford the lakhs of rupees quoted by private hospitals. Medical centers in Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad also told them to wait nearly three months for the operation. Through an acquaintance, the family learned about District Coordinator of Hospital Services Dr G. Ravi Babu, who directed them to the Area Hospital at Yellandu. At Yellandu, ENT specialist Dr. Ravi Tejaswi performed Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, along with septoplasty, bilateral turbinectomy, and middle meatal conchoplasty. Dr. Ravi Babu noted that the state-run hospital in a remote area allowed the family to avoid long waiting times and heavy private costs. A similar push for healthcare access is happening at the Community Health Centre in Charla, within the same district, where the medical team delivered eight babies within twenty-four hours. This total included four normal deliveries and four Caesarean sections. Gynaecologist Dr. Sravani, anaesthesiologist Dr. Krishna Prasad, OT team member Sneha, nursing officers Shailaja and Dayamani, along with labour-room nurse Abrar and other staff, managed the births. The medical team achieved this despite heavy rains over the past three days and bad roads. Dr. Ravi Babu stated that the team travels roughly 60 km daily to offer maternity care at Charla so pregnant women do not rely on distant hospitals. Charla lies about 56 km from the Area Hospital at Bhadrachalam. While the hospital faced past nursing shortages, recent hiring has added staff, though some recruited doctors have not joined due to the remote location.