In an incident that reads like a scene from a horror film but ended as a medical miracle, a 45-year-old patient in Telangana's Nizamabad district cheated death twice—first from illness, then from a shocking medical error.
The Night That Defied Death
B. Srikanth, a resident of Soan town, was rushed to a local private hospital after suffering from severe chest pains. What followed was a series of events that would terrify any patient and outrage every citizen concerned about healthcare safety.
According to eyewitness accounts and hospital staff, Srikanth was declared dead by attending physicians after what appeared to be cardiac arrest. The hospital followed standard procedure—or so they thought—and transferred the "body" to the mortuary refrigerator.
The Chilling Discovery
The real drama unfolded hours later when mortuary attendants made a spine-chilling discovery. As they prepared the body for post-mortem procedures, they noticed something impossible: slight movements and faint breathing.
"We initially thought our eyes were playing tricks in the dim light," one staff member recounted. "But when we saw his chest moving slightly, we immediately alerted senior officials."
Immediate Response and Recovery
Hospital authorities sprang into action, rushing Srikanth back to the emergency ward where he received urgent medical attention. Against all odds, the patient who had spent hours in near-freezing temperatures began showing signs of recovery.
Doctors confirmed that Srikanth had slipped into a deep coma or catatonic state that mimicked death—a condition so rare that even experienced medical professionals might miss the subtle signs.
Growing Public Outrage
The incident has sparked widespread anger and concern across Telangana and beyond. Local residents and healthcare activists have demanded:
- Immediate suspension of the doctors involved
- Thorough investigation into hospital protocols
- Stricter guidelines for declaring patients dead
- Regular audits of private healthcare facilities
Broader Implications for Indian Healthcare
This isn't the first such case in India, raising troubling questions about the state of medical verification procedures in the country. Similar incidents have been reported from Uttar Pradesh to Maharashtra, suggesting systemic issues that need urgent addressing.
"This case should serve as a wake-up call for the entire medical community," said a healthcare activist familiar with the incident. "We need better training, better equipment, and most importantly, better accountability."
As Srikanth continues his recovery journey, his story stands as both a miraculous survival tale and a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in our healthcare system—a system where being declared dead doesn't always mean the end of the story.
