No confirmed bed, no entry: Telangana cops stop Covid-19 patients in ambulances from Andhra Pradesh at borders

Several ambulances from Andhra Pradesh ferrying Covid-19 patients to hospitals in Hyderabad for better treatment were stopped by the Telangana police at the border points near Kurnool and Kodad on Monday.

While “no written orders were issued” to turn back the patients from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana police officials said they have “instructions” to prevent the patients lacking a reserved bed or oxygen etc treatment assurance from any hospital in Hyderabad from reaching the capital city.

Most of the hospitals in Hyderabad, especially the renowned names in the private sector, are said to be operating at or near their full capacities treating the Covid-19 patients.

“Such is the situation that we do not want these patients to reach Hyderabad and wander on the city roads (for lack of a hospital bed). So, if a patient is not in a serious condition and can be treated at Kurnool or other places, those ambulances were asked to go back. However, patients with reserved beds were allowed to proceed to Hyderabad,” Ranjan Ratan Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Jogulamba-Gadwal district that shares border with AP's Kurnool told DH.

Kurnool is the gateway to Rayalaseema, while Kodad in Telangana lies few kilometres from the border with coastal Andhra region.

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Telangana officials have earlier stated that many non-Telangana patients were undergoing treatment in the Hyderabad hospitals for better treatment and care. Due to their geographical proximity and better healthcare facilities, people from Bidar, Nanded etc border areas also choose Hyderabad for their medical needs.

At the height of the Covid-19 surge in Maharashtra in March-April, few private hospitals in Hyderabad said that patients from the neighboring state formed 25-30 percent of their bed occupancy.

Now, Andhra Pradesh is reporting over 20,000 new cases daily.

Except for some faraway cities like Visakhapatnam, the truncated state lacks superior medical infrastructure in the private sector like it is concentrated in Hyderabad, which went to Telangana in the 2014 bifurcation.

A few netizens have expressed anger on twitter over the alleged patient obstruction by Telangana, stating the AP Reorganization Act permits Hyderabad as the common capital for the two Telugu states till 2024.