Gallantry award winning policeman dies, family members allege negligence in Hyderabad hospital (representative image)

Hyderabad: Madhapur police is investigating the death of 60-year-old reserve sub-inspector (RSI) Thallapalli Raja Sambaiah of Siddipet commissionerate after allegations of medical negligence were raised by his family. The gallantry award-winning police officer, who hailed from Karimnagar, died on Friday after alleged poor treatment at Yashoda Hospital in Hi-Tech City.Station House Officer (SHO) of Madhapur police station, D Krishna Mohan, said, “The body has been shifted to the Osmania General Hospital mortuary for post-mortem. We are waiting for the report. Further action, including legal opinion on the allegations against the hospital, will be taken based on the findings.”RSI’s family alleged that doctors ignored warning signs, performed surgery without adequate evaluation and delayed critical care. In the FIR obtained by TOI, the family said Sambaiah was admitted under the Bhadratha scheme (a welfare scheme for Telangana police personnel) on March 7 for removal of a gluteal lump (a lump on the hip), which had been present for years without any major complications.Sambaiah’s wife Tallapalli Tirupatamma said in the complaint, “Despite the patient having high blood pressure, diabetes and prior neurological concerns, the doctors failed to conduct major pre-operative tests such as MRI or CT scan. On March 9, my husband’s blood pressure rose to critical levels, and the anesthesiologist advised to postpone the surgery as it could lead to a brain stroke or serious complications. However, the surgery was performed on March 10.”He further said that, after the operation, Sambaiah was shifted to the general ward instead of the ICU. Within a short time, severe bleeding was observed from the surgical site, necessitating another emergency surgery. He further added, “He was later shifted to the ICU, where scans revealed a massive stroke. His condition worsened, brain damage increased from 50% to 90% despite further procedures and despite 20 minutes of CPR he ultimately died of brain failure.”Demanding strict action against the hospital, the family also asked the police to investigate whether medical protocols were violated and whether the Bhadratha scheme was misused during the treatment.Based on Tirupatamma’s complaint, Madhapur police registered a case under section 194 (suspicious death) of BNSS. Meanwhile, a source at Yashoda Hospital told TOI, “There is no wrongdoing or procedural lapse on our part. If the case goes ahead it will be established in the court.”