Tax officer dies of coronavirus in Hyderabad, private hospital charges Rs 29 lakh

An assistant commercial tax officer has died of coronavirus after delivering a baby here at a private hospital in Hyderabad. The woman was identified as Shwetha Reddy.

Shwetha's husband Madhava Reddy claimed that they have paid Rs 29 lakh for his wife's treatment and not allowed to talk or see her. "We were told she was responding for the treatment and there is nothing to worry about," Madhava Reddy said. However, when he persisted the staff to allow him to visit his wife, Madhava Reddy went to the ICU to see Shwetha.

"I found Shwetha motionless and alerted the doctors. I also asked the staff of all reports to seek the second opinion from another hospital," Reddy said. Soon after the Reddy demanded the reports, the hospital authorities declared Shwetha dead.

The incident came to light when Madhava Reddy brought it to the notice of the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and minister KT Rama Rao.

On July 27, Shwetha who was pregnant complained of fever and was taken to a hospital. However, when the fever did not subside, she was shifted to another hospital where the admission was denied. Later, her family took her to a hospital in Mahabubnagar for delivery where she underwent coronavirus tests, but the reports came negative. However, the hospital refused to admit her and she was taken to a private hospital in Hyderabad.

Shwetha delivered a baby through C-section for which the hospital charged Rs 2 lakh. Two days after the delivery, the hospital staff took her samples for corona tests, the results of which came positive. The doctors shifted her to ICU and began coronavirus treatment on August 12. She was in ICU for 20 days and was charged with excessive bills.

The woman died on Thursday morning after her husband visited her in ICU on Wednesday night and sought all the test reports.