A video from the Thirubhuvanam Government Hospital in Sivaganga district has triggered controversy after showing a sanitation worker allegedly providing first aid to an injured patient.
According to reports, the incident involved Varadarajan, a resident of Pethanenthal village, who arrived at the hospital on Wednesday afternoon with a head injury. With no doctor or nurse reportedly present at the time, sanitation worker Pappammal was said to have cleaned the wound and applied medicine.
Bystanders recorded the episode and shared the footage on social media, where it quickly went viral and drew public criticism. The development has renewed scrutiny of staffing levels at the government facility.
Sources indicated that the hospital handles more than 600 outpatients and over 50 inpatients daily. While norms require the presence of 12 doctors and 20 nurses, only six doctors and five nurses are currently posted, according to available information.
Allegations have also emerged that doctors remain on duty for only about an hour in the morning, with sanitation staff and trainee students attending to patients during other periods. The claims have intensified public dissatisfaction, particularly since a new hospital building was recently inaugurated at a reported cost of ₹3.9 crore.
Responding to the controversy, hospital authorities stated that the patient was bleeding heavily and the sanitation worker intervened only to clean the wound in an emergency. The administration said the doctor stationed on the first floor was informed immediately and subsequently took over the patient’s treatment.
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