Kavitha Demands ₹50 Lakh Aid for Families of RIMS Fire Victims

Telangana Rashtra Sena president Kavitha Kalvakuntla on Tuesday visited the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at RIMS Adilabad, where five newborns recently died following a fire incident, and accused the Congress government of negligence in maintaining critical healthcare infrastructure. She demanded an ex-gratia of ₹50 lakh for each affected family and called for immediate measures to prevent such incidents.

Describing the incident as heartbreaking, Kavitha said the deaths of five infants, some of whom had not even completed their first few days of life, could not be dismissed as an unavoidable accident or natural disaster. She alleged that systemic lapses at the hospital had contributed to the tragedy. According to her, 204 children died at RIMS last year, compared with 174 the previous year, warranting an urgent review of healthcare conditions.

Kavitha alleged that RIMS is facing a severe shortage of doctors, nurses and sanitation workers. Against a sanctioned strength of 150 doctors, she claimed that fewer than half were available, while nursing staff was also operating at around half the required strength. Sanitation staffing, she said, stood at only 20 per cent. She further pointed to maintenance gaps, alleging that the hospital has around 150 air-conditioning units but no dedicated mechanic and only three electricians, placing an excessive workload on existing staff.

Kavitha claimed that around ₹500 crore in Aarogyasri payments was pending for the hospital and demanded that the government clear the outstanding bills within a month. She also highlighted poor road connectivity to RIMS from tribal areas, saying inadequate transport facilities were adding to healthcare challenges faced by pregnant women and children.

Questioning the absence of the Chief Minister during the crisis, Kavitha recalled the government’s earlier statement that Adilabad had been adopted for development. She also criticised the Health Minister for allegedly spending limited time at the hospital and leaving without holding a detailed review with the district administration.

She called for forensic audits of all government hospitals in Telangana, including MGM Hospital in Warangal and the Nagarkurnool hospital. Kavitha also questioned the government’s healthcare allocations, alleging that the promised 10 per cent budget share had instead remained at around five per cent.

Kavitha announced that her party would form a committee to study newborn and maternal deaths and healthcare conditions in Adilabad. She gave the government one month to clear dues, improve roads and personally review the district’s healthcare situation, warning of a protest involving tribal communities if action was not taken.