Guntur General Hospital.
| Photo Credit: T. VIJAYA KUMAR
The Government General Hospital (GGH) Guntur, which is in news after the death of a patient suffering with the Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) on February 16, appears to be in the denial mode.
The GGH Guntur has submitted the three years data related to it to the government, following the review meeting held by both Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Health Satya Kumar on Monday (February 17), following the two deaths reported in the State within a span of one week. The first death was reported from Srikakulam and the second patient was from Prakasam district (who died in GGH Guntur on Sunday).
The government observed on Sunday that the mortality due to GBS is estimated between 5% to 7%. However, during a joint press conference held by Minister for Health Satya Kumar, Special Chief Secretary (Health, Medical & Family Welfare) M.T. Krishna Babu and Guntur Medical College Principal Nagarjunakonda Venkata Sundarachary, the government declared that the death toll in Andhra Pradesh is higher than the normal estimates.
Dr. Sundarachary maintained during the press conference that, “The incidence of death occurring due to the disease is one% to two % per year per one lakh population. And, the mortality is generally 5% to 10%, even in best equipped hospitals. But in our State, the mortality rate is slightly high and it is about 10% to 12%.”
He also added that, this is not a new disease and it was detected hundreds of years back and treatment is also available for it.
As the government has revealed that the death rate is higher in Andhra Pradesh, when compared to other States, The Hindu requested the GGH Guntur to provide the mortality related information pertaining to the past three years. Reacting to that, Superintendent of GGH Guntur S.S.V Ramana said that he didn’t have the data with him and suggested to take it from Associate Professor of the Neurology department at GMC Aruna Kumari. As The Hindu requested Dr. Aruna Kumari to provide the information, she refused to reveal it by stating that she was not supposed to provide it. She also added that she had instructions not to reveal it.
When asked Dr. Sundarachary, he said that he would provide it, but is yet to provide the details.
Published – February 18, 2025 05:11 pm IST
