Activists Urge Telangana Leaders to Fix Basic Failures in State-Run Hospitals

A group of 115 citizens and activists has written a collective appeal to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha regarding poor conditions at major state-run medical facilities in Hyderabad.

Key Issues

The letter states that lack of basic amenities like clean drinking water, proper sanitation, and functional toilets is forcing patients away from public healthcare and into expensive private hospitals. The signatories include social activists, academics, writers, journalists, and teachers who point out that hospitals like Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Niloufer Hospital, and Petlaburj Maternity Hospital suffer from poorly maintained infrastructure. They argue that while these institutions employ skilled doctors and researchers, filthy conditions and missing facilities severely harm the patient experience. The group also cautioned against handing over basic maintenance to private corporate entities, warning that such moves would only increase the financial strain on ordinary citizens.

Demands

Beyond immediate repairs, the letter asks the state government to enact a strong Right to Health law after consulting with public organizations and citizens. The signatories also criticized politicians for focusing on surface-level changes like updating photographs on walls and ambulances rather than fixing core problems, urging officials to take direct responsibility for upgrading the public medical system.

Context

State-run medical institutions in India often struggle with heavy patient loads and tight budgets, leading to severe wear and tear on basic infrastructure over time. When public facilities lack clean water and proper sanitation, vulnerable patients who cannot afford private care are left with very few safe alternatives.