Latest news with #SuneethaNarreddy
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Suneetha Narreddy writes open letter seeking reopening of probe into her father's murder
Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of slain former MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, wrote an open letter to all Members of Parliament and MLCs and MLAs in Andhra Pradesh seeking their support for reopening the murder case and its speedy completion, while noting that her father's soul is still crying for justice more than six years after he was killed. She said in the letter, written on August 10 on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, that Vivekananda Reddy was brutally murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district in March 2019 and the perpetrators of the crime were caught but the conspirators remained untouched. On March 15, 2019, Sakshi TV, which is managed by Y.S. Bharati Reddy, wife of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, broadcast a news that Mr. Vivekananda Reddy died of a heart attack and several YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders repeated that claim on the same channel. Ms. Suneetha Narreddy said she found her father's body with wounds that were covered with bandages. The Sakshi newspaper carried a full-page story the next day alleging that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders were responsible for the murder. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy even filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking a CBI probe. During the 2019 State Assembly elections, Vivekananda Reddy's murder became a political weapon against the TDP. The YSRCP won and Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister. He personally assured Ms. Suneetha Narreddy that the killers would be caught, saying that failure (to apprehend the culprits) would be an insult to him. The SIT formed by the YSRCP government was reconstituted just as it neared a breakthrough, after which Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy told Ms. Suneetha Narreddy that a CBI probe was 'not an option' as it might cause MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy to defect to another party. She approached the A.P. High Court and it transferred the case to the CBI on March 11, 2020 but Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy withdrew his own petition for a CBI probe. Noting the influence of the accused and State interference, the Supreme Court transferred the trial to Telangana on November 29, 2022, while observing that there was a larger conspiracy that required further CBI investigation. Yet, this has not happened. Ms. Suneetha Narreddy expressed agony that, in her pursuit of justice, she knocked on every door and was harassed, falsely prosecuted and targeted by the government which her father once helped build. 'Justice is still elusive as the killers are rich and powerful. This is not only my family's tragedy but it is a national failure, where criminals hijacked democracy itself. If we, as citizens and leaders, do not act, we will one day find our freedom, our Constitution, and our values in their hands', she added, hoping that the elected representatives would do the needful treating her as their sister.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
A year on, long Covid patients still struggle with health & debt: Study
Hyderabad: A multi-centre study by researchers from Hyderabad, Vellore, Mumbai, and Thiruvalla has found that 16.5% of hospitalised Covid-19 patients in India continued to experience long Covid symptoms even one year after discharge. The study, which followed 315 patients across four hospitals — Apollo Health City in Hyderabad, Christian Medical College in Vellore, MGM New Bombay Hospital in Navi Mumbai, and Believers Church Medical College Hospital in Thiruvalla, Kerala — used both quantitative tracking and qualitative interviews to assess the ongoing physical and mental impact of the illness. Titled "Prevalence and Predictors of Long Covid at 1 Year in a Cohort of Hospitalised Patients," and published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, the research found that many patients continued to report multiple symptoms affecting their daily lives at the 12-month mark. The most commonly cited issues were breathlessness, fatigue, and muscle pain. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The patient group had a median age of 52 years and 59.4% were male. Comorbid conditions were widespread, with 38.7% of participants having diabetes and 36.8% dealing with hypertension. Breathlessness remained the most consistent symptom across all follow-ups — at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months — while the severity of muscle pain and fatigue fluctuated over time. Beyond clinical data, the research included a qualitative component involving in-depth, face-to-face interviews with a subset of patients to better understand how long Covid had affected their quality of life and economic stability. Using open-ended questions, researchers explored health-related issues as well as the financial and social challenges faced post-hospitalisation. "I pledged my home and property and borrowed money. My sister helped, and I pledged my wife's jewellery. Altogether, I spent Rs 10 lakh — Rs 5 lakh was covered by insurance," said a 57-year-old male patient. "Everyone feels happy after recovery, but I don't. The economic burden has left me shattered." Another 38-year-old woman, a daily wage labourer along with her husband, shared a similar experience. "The hospital gave us some concession, but we had to buy the medicines ourselves. We spent over Rs 1 lakh. To manage that, we had to pledge silver and gold ornaments. A doctor helped us by providing costly medicines for free. Without that, we wouldn't have made it. If not for the help, the cost could have gone up to Rs 10 lakh." Dr Suneetha Narreddy, an infectious diseases expert based in Hyderabad and part of the research team, said the findings highlight the urgent need for targeted care strategies. "This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to manage the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic fallout of long Covid," she said. Researchers also employed logistic regression analysis and quality-of-life assessments to evaluate the long-term impact. At the one-year point, 19.8% of patients reported mobility issues, and 16.9% said they had difficulty carrying out daily activities. The study further found that a prior ICU admission or hospital stay longer than seven days significantly increased the risk of long Covid. Symptoms such as breathlessness, cough, joint pain, and weight loss observed at six weeks post-discharge were strong indicators of persistent health challenges. Earlier studies in India had reported long Covid prevalence rates between 30% and 37%, but those were based on shorter follow-up periods. "By extending the observation to a full year, our study provides a clearer, more nuanced picture," Dr Narreddy added.
