When a bureaucrat goes out of her way to prove a point, it grabs eyeballs as the civil servants are held in great esteem in our country and are also role models for the young generation.
Something similar happened in Telangana when the Additional District Collector of Khammam district, Ms. Sneha Latha Mogili, set an example for the people of the state by giving birth to a baby girl in a government hospital. Her step immediately got noticed and earned her praises from across the country. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer revealed why she took the decision to have her baby delivered in a government hospital and what was the overall experience like.
IN SAFER HANDS
Ms. Mogili has been working with health officials and doctors of the government hospitals for more than a year now. She has observed that the district’s government hospitals are in a “fairly good” condition. They have almost all the facilities that a private or corporate hospital provides a patient with. She is happy with her stay in the government hospital and the kind of services that she received there.
“I was given a very warm welcome in the hospital. The hospitality and the treatment of the nurses and doctors were both extremely well. I had a very good team of doctors consisting of three gynecologists, anesthesiologists, and pediatricians. This was also one of the main reasons why I chose to give birth in a government hospital as I knew I would get a team of doctors from different departments, which would not have been the case in a private set-up,” Ms. Mogili told Indian Masterminds.
SETTING AN EXAMPLE
People from the marginalized and economically backward sections go to the government hospitals for their treatment because they cannot afford the high and at times exorbitant, fees of private hospitals. It is only the rich who avail themselves of the five-star facilities of private nursing homes and super-specialty hospitals. By getting herself admitted to a government hospital, the IAS officer wanted to let people know that the state-run hospitals are equally good and have most of the facilities that private ones offer, but at a minimal cost.
“I wanted to opt for a government hospital to portray that even though people can afford a bed in a private hospital, they should be willing to try out government hospitals also. I believe that government facilities are far better than private ones. When the pandemic hit, I convinced my family members to get themselves checked into government hospitals. We can see a change in the belief that government hospitals are not safe and hygienic, and the services provided are inadequate. My step can change everybody’s perception,” stated the ADM.
SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND
Ms. Mogili’s husband, IPS officer Mr. Sabharish Mogili, is Assistant Commissioner of Police, Manugur. He is also a doctor. Naturally, he wanted the best for his wife and was initially a little skeptical about his wife giving birth in a government hospital.
“However, after talking to the doctors of the government hospital, he was convinced that we can go ahead with the idea and that we will receive the best of facilities. The entire team of doctors and the staff in the hospital were very supportive towards me and helped me through everything,” Ms. Mogili said.
The officer’s simple wish to give birth in a government hospital is getting her a lot of praise from all over the country, something that she had certainly not expected. She hopes now that the treatment and welcome that she received from the hospital will be extended to all people of the district.
It may be mentioned here that the government hospitals of Khammam have been awarded the ‘Kaya Kalp Award’ for cleanliness and hygiene.
