Protest at Hyderabad’s Niloufer Hospital as survey highlights shortage of beds, poor hygiene and irregularities
Progressive Youth League (PYL) and Progressive Organization of Women (POW) staged a protest outside Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad, demanding that the hospital authorities address a number of issues, including shortage of beds, poor sanitation, alleged corruption and shortage of essential medicines | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Pregnant women waiting for hours on chairs, multiple patients sharing beds and overflowing toilets were among the issues highlighted by the Progressive Youth League (PYL) during a survey of Niloufer Government Hospital in Hyderabad. The organization staged a protest in front of the hospital and demanded immediate intervention from the authorities.
The demonstrators presented to the superintendent of Niloufer Hospital Dr. A memorandum to Vijay Kumar listing 12 issues identified during a three-day survey conducted by the PYL between October 27 and 29.
Addressing the gathering, POW state president D. Swarup, PYL Greater Hyderabad president BS Krishna and Kolluru secretary Bimesh said the survey revealed several shortcomings in patient care and hospital infrastructure. They claimed that pregnant women were forced to wait hours on chairs due to a lack of beds, while two to three patients were sometimes accommodated in one bed.
They also highlighted the lack of basic facilities for patient attendants, claiming that two floors of the three-story waiting room remained locked, leaving attendants with limited space to rest. They also pointed to the absence of adequate toilets and drinking water facilities. The survey also pointed to poor hygiene at the hospital, with protesters claiming toilets in both the old and new blocks were poorly maintained, overflowing sewage and a foul smell raised fears of the spread of infections.
PYL and POW members raised concerns about alleged irregularities in hospital services, claiming that some staff were demanding money from patients. The organizations also alleged that patients were being sent to private diagnostic laboratories for certain medical tests that should be available at the hospital, resulting in high out-of-pocket costs.
The protesters also questioned the availability and prices of medicines, claiming that patients were not getting all the prescribed medicines and that AMRIT’s medical branch was charging higher prices for some medicines despite claiming to offer medicines at discounted prices. They also sought to investigate allegations that expensive drugs and injections meant for free distribution were being diverted and sold to private medical shops. The memorandum also called for an investigation into alleged irregularities in the recruitment of external staff and financial embezzlement.
Other demands included improving parking facilities, ensuring the quality of meals provided to patients under the ₹5 meal scheme, installing signboards indicating food dispensing points and filling up all vacant seats in the hospital.
Published – November 3, 2026 10:07 AM IST