Man collapses near mortuary in Mahabubabad GGH, hospital refutes claims of him being locked inside

Amid reports circulating on social media that a man was found alive after being locked overnight inside the mortuary of Mahabubabad Government General Hospital (GGH), hospital authorities have clarified that no such incident took place.

Speaking to The Hindu, hospital superintendent Dr. B. Srinivas Rao said that the man in question was never sent to the mortuary. He had merely collapsed near the mortuary compound wall during heavy rain on Wednesday evening. “Our hospital and the mortuary are on opposite sides of the road. During the downpour, he fell in front of the mortuary wall near the gate,” Dr. Srinivas Rao explained.

The man, identified as 45-year-old Vendee Raju, a former truck driver from Jaiyaram village in Gudur mandal, was immediately assisted by bystanders and eyewitnesses who moved him to a nearby bench in the open area beside the mortuary. “First-aid was given to him there, and he was then shifted to the hospital for further treatment. He is now conscious and relatively stable,” the superintendent said. He further added that Raju appeared to be a destitute man with minimal family support. “He told us that his wife does not take care of him and that even his elder brother has disowned him. He is lean and weak, and we often encounter such cases, abandoned elderly or sick individuals found near bus stands or railway stations,” he noted.

Refuting rumours and misleading social media posts, the superintendent maintained that Raju was never placed inside a mortuary freezer. “If anyone were to be kept inside a freezer, survival would be impossible,” he said.