Hours of tension filled moments on the Telangana-AP inter state borders with dozens of ambulances waiting to rush critically ill COVID patients towards Hyderabad in a last ditch effort and police refusing entry on the grounds that proper permits were not produced came to an end with the High Court of Telangana allowing free movement of vehicles on medical emergencies.
The much needed lifeline came not before two unfortunate COVID patients breathed their last waiting endlessly for the permission to drive towards Hyderabad at Pullur Toll Plaza near Panchalingala on the Kurnool-Jogulamba Gadwal district border on Friday. At least 40 ambulances were turned back from the morning at this Pullur checkpost.
No different was the Ramapuram checkpost on Suryapet-Krishna border, Wadapalli and Nagarjunasagar on Guntur-Nalgonda district border. Desperate cries from the families of patients to allow and save their near and dear ones rented the air.
Guidelines the trigger
Earlier in the day, the State government had issued a series of guidelines to streamline admission of patients coming from other States into the hospitals here. Patients from other States should have prior tie-up with the hospital in Telangana for COVID admission. On receipt of the proposal from the hospital, the control room would issue authorisation to travel based on which the patient could come to Telangana for hospitalisation.
The day witnessed sea-saw battle with the patients suffering in pain in the ambulances in the hot summer on the highways and the police bluntly refusing entry into TS. Andhra Pradesh government tried its best to impress upon the TS government to act in a humanitarian manner but to no avail.
Full blown row
As the issue escalated into full blown row, the Director of Public Health Dr. G. Srinivasa Rao had asserted that the government was not stopping patients coming for treatment in the hospitals in Telangana with necessary approvals.
He refuted charges that the State had imposed restrictions on the movement of people from other States. He said the process of admission in hospitals had been streamlined to ensure hassle-free transit of patients and their attendants.
Amid this painful developments, a retired IRS officer moved the High Court of Telangana to issue necessary directions to the TS government. The house motion by the HC ensured that ambulances would rush to Hyderabad and turn out to be the much needed saviours on the wheels.
Published - May 14, 2021 10:02 pm IST
