Hyderabad: A 37-year-old man died under suspicious circumstances after joining a de-addiction centre in Vanasthalipuram. Police registered a case following a complaint from his family and began investigating the death.
The deceased was identified as Ganji Nagarjuna, a resident of High Court Colony in Vanasthalipuram. According to police, he had been addicted to alcohol for some time and his health had deteriorated.
His family admitted him to Sankalpa De-addiction Centre on Gurudwar Road on Thursday. They reportedly sought treatment there to help him overcome his alcohol addiction and recover from his declining health.
On September 14, Monday, Nagarjuna was found lying on his bed at around 8.30 am. Centre staff noticed that he was not getting up and informed his family about his condition.
The family members reached the centre soon afterwards.
They shifted Nagarjuna to the nearby Pragya Hospital for medical attention.
However, the duty doctor at the hospital reportedly confirmed that Nagarjuna had already died. His family subsequently approached Vanasthalipuram Police Station and lodged a complaint.
Police registered a case based on the complaint and started investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. Investigators are examining the available details to establish what caused Nagarjuna’s death.
Meanwhile, police said they would consider the postmortem report and other relevant information before taking further action. The exact cause of death had not been established at the time of the report.
The incident has also raised concerns about conditions at de-addiction centres. Questions have emerged specifically about the facilities available at Sankalpa De-addiction Centre following Nagarjuna’s death.
According to information cited in the report, more than 70 patients and around 10 staff members were staying at the centre. The facility was reportedly accommodating more than 80 people in total.
The report also raised concerns about the number of beds and bathrooms available at the centre. It stated that the facility reportedly had 30 beds and only three bathrooms.
Questions were also raised about patients staying together in a single hall. Concerns were expressed about cleanliness around the bathroom areas and the overall environment at the facility.
Some people expressed concern that such conditions could worsen health problems among people undergoing treatment. However, these concerns about the centre’s facilities had not been established as findings by the police investigation.
De-addiction centre death raises questions over facility oversight
The reported death has prompted calls for authorities to examine the functioning of de-addiction centres. Public organisations have sought a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Local discussions have also claimed that two people died at Sankalpa De-addiction Centre within the past two months. The report presented this as local discussion and did not provide an official confirmation of the claim.
Public organisations have therefore urged the concerned authorities to investigate the matter fully. They have also called for the facts behind the reported deaths to be established.
In addition, they have demanded regular inspections of de-addiction centres by medical authorities. They called for strict action against centres that fail to follow applicable requirements.
People have also stressed the need for medical supervision at de-addiction facilities. They said patients should have access to emergency medical care when health conditions deteriorate.
A clean environment was another concern raised in connection with the facility.
Continuous monitoring of patients’ health conditions was also suggested to reduce risks during treatment.
The death of a person receiving treatment for alcohol addiction has consequently drawn attention to the conditions in which such patients receive care. The concerns have added another dimension to the police investigation into Nagarjuna’s death.
Police, however, have not established a specific cause for the death so far. Investigators are examining the postmortem findings along with other details collected during the inquiry.
The postmortem report is expected to help determine the medical cause of Nagarjuna’s death. Police said they would decide on further action after reviewing the report and other relevant information.
The case remains under investigation by Vanasthalipuram police. The circumstances surrounding the death, including the precise cause, are yet to be established.
The reported concerns about Sankalpa De-addiction Centre also await verification by the relevant authorities. Any further findings will depend on the ongoing investigation and examination of available records and evidence.