Staffer dies, call to use railway hosp strengthens

A senior goods train guard of the South Central Railway (SCR) with the Kacheguda station died of Covid-19 while under treatment at the Gandhi Hospital last week.

According to his colleagues, he was in touch with his family and colleagues on the phone till June 19 and used to complain of the conditions at the hospital. He said there were many issue, and his diapers used to be changed once in two days, said K. Bikshapathi, division secretary, SCR Employees Sangh, Hyderabad. Bhikshapathi said the SCR medical department should have at least enquired about the condition of the patient who they had referred to Gandhi Hospital.

Bhikshapathi said the SCR and the government should take the matter seriously. “There are around 35,000 railway employees working in the Hyderabad and Secunderabad divisions and 20,000 pensioners who are eligible for treatment at the railway hospital at Lalaguda, which is

BHIKSHAPATHI SAID the SCR medical department should have at least enquired about the condition of the patient who they had referred to Gandhi Hospital.

well equipped with ICU and ventilator facilities, around 100 doctors and

400 to 500 beds.” “When the railways is ready to treat the Covid-19 patients at its hospital, why is the state government not ready to give permission for the Covid19 treatment,” Bhikshapathi asked. Salla Prasad,

technician-1 at Moulali, said “The number of patients is accelerating,

Covid-19 designated hospitals are filled. It will be better for railway employees if the government agrees to allow the railway hospital to treat railway staff for Covid-19.”

David Boon, from the commercial department in Kacheguda, said, “When the railway divisional hospital is well equipped, the government should grant permission. The death of our employee should be an eye-opener to the government.”