Old guards in new uniforms
It took 20 minutes to take Mrs Qamar Begum, who had come from Rajendranagar along with her daughter Arifa Begum to consult a doctor for her heart-related problems from the accident site to the emergency wing.
Mrs Qamar Begum was in a lot of pain and had taken a token as she waited for her turn to see the doctor when the accident took place.
When the car hurtled towards her at great speed, she had little time to move; her right leg got fractured. The woman was in a lot of pain but was lying unattended. It took a hue and cry from onlookers to spur the hospital staff to get a stretcher for her.
Even after that it took around 20 minutes for a doctor to attend her. Ms Arifa Begum said, “We were alone and I called my brothers who rushed to the hospital. After they complained, the doctors treated us.” Mrs Qamar’s fractured right leg had to be amputated. Her left leg is also fractured.
Her son Syed Amir Ahmed said, “My mother is diabetic and has high blood sugar. She came to OGH because of cardiac problems. We waited for over three hours to know the line of treatment but there was no doctor.”
Mr Amir Ahmed was also asked to file a police complaint and has been shuttling between the police station and hospital. Dr G.V. Murthy said, “It’s a police case and they are investigating. There is no need for any investigation by the hospital.”On why Dr Rehan Querishi gave the keys of his car to the security guard, Dr Murthy said that he would not be able to comment on that.
Other senior doctors said that speeding on hospital premises had been an issue but as no one was injured so far it was never addressed.
Another junior doctor at OGH on condition of anonymity said, “This is not the first time that a security guard has asked for the car keys of a doctor. This is normal just like in hotels and malls. The doctor was doing a surgery and could not walk out from the theatre at that time.”
There are no CCTVs at OGH. Five outpatients at the Osmania General Hospital were injured when a car being driven by a security guard rammed into them.
All the security guards fled from the scene after the incident and only reported back at 2 pm.
Three other patients, Mohammed Iqbal, Vijay K. and T. Mallesh, sustained minor injuries.
A senior doctor said that a security guard approached Dr Qureshi asking him to move the car from the parking area. As he was required to be in the operation theatre, Dr Qureshi handed over the keys to the guard. “The accident occurred about half-anhour after this,” the doctors said.
Afzalgunj inspector P. Gnanender Reddy said the car was taken out by Shivraj who did not know how to drive a car and did not possess a licence. “He stepped on the accelerator thinking it was the brake because of which the car surged ahead.”
A complaint was booked by the police under IPC Section 338 (causing grievous hurt) and Sections 180 (allowing unauthorised persons to drive) and 181 (owner allowing an unlicensed person to drive) of the Motor Vehicle Act.