Sangareddy municipal councillor dies of COVID-19 at Gandhi Hospital

Hyderabad: The councillor of ward number 17 in Sangareddy district died of COVID-19 on 6 July here at the Gandhi Hospital. Sources said the 51-year-old Ghousia Begum was already suffering from heart ailments.

She was admitted to Hyderabad's Gandhi Hospital on the evening of 5 July after experiencing respiratory ailments because of the virus. She died at 2.30 in the morning on Monday, a fellow councillor told NewsMeter. Fourteen of her family members have been put in isolation.

Begum was initially admitted to the Chest Hospital on 4 July, allegedly after struggling to find a bed in several private hospitals. On Sunday, she experienced severe breathing issues. "The staff at the Chest Hospital said they didn't have any ventilators and she was shifted to Gandhi in the evening," Vanita Santosh, the councillor of ward 23, said.

"A mother of four, she was a humble person. She had contested for the post of municipal councillor in January from the Congress party," Ms. Santosh added. NewsMeter has also learnt that Begum used to run a school in the district.

Sangareddy congress MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy has alleged that the family of Ghousia Begum ran pillar to post to get a bed equipped with a ventilator. " The family had visited few private hospitals in and around Hyderabad, but could not get a ventilator attached bed for Ghousia Begum. The government must provide oxygen equipment and ventilators in every district hospital to treat Covid-19 patients" the MLA said.

Md Mazhar, son of Ghousia Begum has alleged discrepancies in the death toll. He said a high number of people are dying at Gandhi hospital every day than what is being projected by the government in the medical bulletins. Sangareddy currently has 191 active COVID-19 cases.

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) lost another senior member, its minority cell ex-chairman, Mohammed Sirajuddin succumbed to Covid-19 on Sunday night. He died while undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at Sunshine Hospital, Secunderabad. He was also a member of the Congress Covid Task Force.

Two days ago, he was confirmed to have been infected with Covid-19 in Olive Hospital, Mehdipatnam. After that, he was shifted to Sunshine Hospital. His wife, Farees Bhanu, and brother, Mohammed Shabuddin, were also admitted in Sunshine Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Congress leader is survived by his wife, three sons. “I am concerned about his sons as they are very young. I want them to undergo Covid test. It is a big loss for my family,” said Rafi Unisa, sister of Mohammad Sirajuddin.