In a shocking incident, a patient was reportedly shifted to the local Primary Health Centre (PHC) hospital by the gram panchayat staff of Bhimavaram village in a garbage shifting auto trolley on July 27.

Officials swung into action after photos and videos of the incident went viral on social media. According to the sources, the patient, identified as Satish Kumar, is a resident of Chilkur village. Kumar worked as a daily wager in Guntur district for a few years before he lost his job amid COVID-19 lockdown. After he returned to his village, he could not locate his family, and had been staying at the Akividu bus station for the last three days as he was reportedly ill. 

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After locals alerted the gram panchayat about Kumar’s condition, he was shifted to PHC in a garbage vehicle. I saw the video clippings. An inquiry has been ordered into the inhuman act and action would be taken against the staff based on the report, Narsapuram Sub-Collector K.S. Viswanathan told The Hindu.

According to the Akividu MRO office staff, the patient was mentally unsound and was not cooperating for the treatment and the staff shifted him to a hospital in the auto trolley. However, Kumar reportedly escaped from the hospital, without taking treatment, revenue officials informed.