Political Visits Disrupt Patient Care At RIMS After SNCU Fire

Adilabad: A steady stream of political leaders and party workers visiting the RIMS, Adilabad, after the fire in its Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) is disrupting patient care and inconveniencing families.

According to attendants of the patients, police restrictions during the high-profile visits have caused them trouble. Police have also struggled to control the crowds accompanying leaders.

A large number of party workers, accompanying the leaders, have entered the SNCU and other wards, raising concerns about infection control. Medical experts said visitors have been entering wards without following proper sanitisation protocol, putting patients at risk.

A senior political leader from Adilabad criticised the visits, alleging that parties were seeking political advantage from the tragedy while overlooking the disruption to medical services.

RIMS director Dr Jai Singh Rathod has had to spend considerable time briefing visiting leaders and coordinating official visits without attending to patients. Similar visits have taken place at a private hospital in Adilabad where infants are receiving treatment.

Health minister C. Damodar Rajanarsimha, MLAs Payal Shankar, Anil Jadhav and Vedma Bojju, K. Kavitha, and former ministers Satyawati Rathod and Jogu Ramanna have visited RIMS. District in-charge minister Jupally Krishna Rao is also expected to visit in the next two days.