Covid patients taken to hospital in garbage van in Andhra Pradesh

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, August 3

In a shocking incident, three COVID-19 patients were moved to the hospital in a garbage van in Nellimarla town of Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh.

Just as the incident was highlighted on social media, opposition parties led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), lashed out at the government blaming it of not doing enough for those infected in the pandemic.

Vizianagaram District Medical and Health Officer Dr Ramana Kumari have ordered a probe into the incident.

“Appalling! Three COVID-19 patients in BC Colony, Jarjapupeta in Vizianagaram District were seen taken to the hospital in a “Garbage vehicle”. Don’t know about coronavirus, but the helpless patients might contract other dangerous diseases. Why are they not being treated like humans?” former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted.

After a video of the three patients boarding a garbage van went viral, the authorities immediately ordered a probe. The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday when an ambulance did not reach to shift three members of a family to the hospital.

According to locals, the family had undergone COVID-19 tests earlier in the week and their results came out to be positive. Despite calling 108 for an ambulance, there was no response. The worried villagers prevailed upon the family to use the garbage van to get to the hospital.

Primary Health Centre medical officer Gayatri Devi said the ambulance was sent immediately after learning about the patients from volunteers but before the vehicle could reach there the local residents mobilised a garbage van from the local municipal body.

Nellimarla Nagar Panchayat Commissioner J. R. Appala Naidu said the vehicle was being used to carry Sodium Hypochlorite and other items for burying the COVID-19 victims.