You want to know the power of an Aam Aadmi, then read on. 1) Stanley Hospital in Chennai due to its utter disregard for proper medical procedures gave HCV virus to 16 patients (truth is much more) who were getting treatment for kidney dialysis. 2) Upon realizing their criminal negligence the hospital decided to throw the patients away by threatening them and by giving false information to cover up the issue, but some patients chose to stay and ask for reasons. 3) Aam Aadmi party volunteers came to know about this and we swung into action the very next day visiting the hospital and finding facts. 4) We met the Chief of Nephrology and the RMO of the hospital both tried to lie to us about how the virus would have contracted by blaming the patients, but when we gave medical explanation they got scared and admitted the patients immediately and started dialysis for few of the patients in serious condition. 5) We wanted all the patients to be given free treatment for as long as it takes for them to cure, we wanted it as written assurance from the Dean of the hospital, but after this issue came to light he escaped and went for a vacation to avoid any backlash. 6) The Dean of the hospital refused to come and meet us and said he will come after 3 days, so around 30 of us started a sit in protest at the hospital demanding the Dean to come and give written assurance for free treatment till they are cured, for food and shelter taken care of for the patients attender and to take action against the ones who were responsible for this monumental blunder. 7) The DME (Director of Medical Education) came to meet us that day to diffuse the situation, but after a long negotiation they rejected our demand but only promised to set up an inquiry committee and get the treatment started. So we continued our sit in protest and stayed the night at the hospital. 8) The Dean came the very next day as we escalated the issue. After long talks with him he refused to give our demands in writing and even threatened the patients relatives that he wont provide proper treatment if we keep demanding, again we continued our protest. 9) The police forcibly arrested us and the Dean and doctors started to threaten and intimidate the patients to not talk to any of the Aam Aadmi party people and refused to give test results for other patients who might have contracted the disease. 10) From that day on we went to the hospital everyday to make sure proper treatment was given to the patients, but still the lackluster attitude of the staff over there continued, although they started to fear anyone wearing an Aam Aadmi topi. As we made sure the treatment was going well, we started to collect evidence and build a solid case against the hospital and also did sting operations to show the pathetic state in which the Government hospitals were run. 11) We went to the house of the Health Minister to demand proper action and also ask as to why he never visited the hospital and meet the patients even after knowing the magnitude of the issue, but the police arrested us there but we got an assurance from the PA of the minister that he would meet us the next day morning as he was out of station. 12) After our second arrest we went back the next day to meet the minister but they tricked us and said the minister wont meet us and we should give out petition to the PA in the secretariat. We refused to do that we exposed the callous attitude of the minister to the media and left from there. 13) The very next day the Minister visited the hospital after 17 days of this issue coming to light, but he spoke to just one patient out of the 16 and that too asking where he was from. When he was about to leave the hospital couple of Aam Aadmi leaders caught hold of him and literally tore him to shreds with questions in front of the entire hospital and the minister pleaded them to not humiliate him in front of everyone. 14) In the meantime we continued to collect evidence and found a solid one that will prove that the HCV virus was contracted by patients few months back, so we decided to demand call back of all patients who went through dialysis treatment in the hospital the past 3 months. 15) Since ministers are like pawns with no power in this current government we met the health secretary who reports directly to the Chief Minister and asked him to agree to our demands for recall of patients, compensation for them, to punish the accused and also meet the so called inquiry committee, he assured us of a meeting the same week, but no such meeting was arranged for more than a week. 16) In the meantime we protested and got arrested the third time fighting for freedom of press since the TN government have effectively made the media not report any crimes and negative news about the ruling AIADMK government and started surveillance on 26 top journalists by assigning police officers to monitor them (which they later refuted). 17) After loosing patience we gave an ultimatum to the Health secretary to meet our demands and get the inquiry committee to meet us right away so we could provide them the evidence we collected so far. The next day the inquiry committee went to hospital to talk to the patients but they were not allowed to meet us. 18) Today (11th sept) we called for a press meet to expose the corrupt and negligent practices of the hospital with video, audio, picture and documentary evidence at 3pm. By 2:30pm the Health secretary, the Dean of the hospital, the Inquiry committee member and the DME all called us and literally pleaded us to not do the press meet and expose them. We refused and went ahead with the press meet. After that we were asked to meet the inquiry committee after 5pm. We met them and spoke to them for more than two hours and gave them the mountain of evidence we have collected so far which left them astounded, making them admit that they underestimated us and did not expect us to be so thorough in our investigation which even they havent found. We gave them an ultimatum to recall all the other patients to provide compensation and to prosecute those who were responsible for this. So as it stands, so far we have achieved the goal of admitting the infected patients getting them a separate ward and dialysis machines and giving them free treatment for the dialysis, free treatment for HCV, and also stay and food for the relatives (although the canteen food is so horrible that one of our volunteer is providing food for them everyday without fail, while we work on getting the canteen issue sorted). We will continue the fight till all the wrongs are made right, but one thing is for certain, the government has now understood what few dedicated AAP volunteers can do to create a storm and start the process of rectifying their corrupt system. Now our fight has broadened and we are targeting all government hospitals across the state to make it hygienic, provide all basic facilities to the patients and visitors and to put an end to the corruption in the system. It is going to be a long battle but it has well and truly begun. Jai Hind.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:59:53 +0000
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