Times of India
3 April 2009
Bangalore, India
By Sameer Ranjan Bakshi & Debi Prasad Sarangi

33–year–old Srinivasa has been in a Bangalore hospital for five years and doesn’t want to leave. The hospital authorities allege that he’s pulling a fast one, but the patient says he is yet to recover
Hundreds of patients have come and gone, most doctors and nurses have changed, but 33–year–old Srinivasa is a permanent fixture of Victoria Hospital. A native of Raichur, Srinivasa was admitted on March 14, 2003, after he suffered burns on his arms and legs while trying to rescue his wife in a fire accident. He has been there since then.

Srinivasa has bandages on his upper thigh and his legs below the knees are a scary sight. But the hospital authorities aren’t sympathetic. They think Srinivasa is overstaying, and that he has recovered.

“We have treated and nursed him for five years. Every day, at least Rs 100 is being spent only on his food. It is all free for him. He is alright and needs no further treatment. All that has to be done is rehabilitation. We can also help him by facilitating a crutch for him,” a hospital official said on condition of anonymity.

Srinivasa is outraged by such insinuations. “The previous Lok Ayukta helped me get treatment. Even the then Raichur MLA helped me. The hospital authorities now want me to leave the place. But where will I go? They have not treated me well. The last they operated on me was some months back and still I get pus from the operated area. I can’t even sit, let alone stand and they are asking me to leave the place,” he said.

“Other patients also have demanded the same treatment from us and are not leaving the premises,” said a hospital authority. One source said, “It is because of intervention of the previous Lok Ayukta no one dares to remove him.”

But he says, “They have not treated me properly and I have no political connections. Had there been any, why should I stay in this government hospital in the same bed for five years.”