PUNE: Political parties, cutting across party lines, on Friday staged protests amid heavy police deployment outside Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and the state govt initiated an inquiry into the death of a pregnant woman after her family members alleged that they were told to shift her to another facility for failing to pay Rs10 lakh in advance.
Tanisha alias Ishwari Sushant Bhise, the deceased woman, was the wife of the personal assistant to BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe. Her family alleged that after Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital denied her treatment on April 2, she was shifted to another facility. She delivered twins there and died.
The allegations by the family against the hospital angered people. Almost all political parties demonstrated outside the hospital on Friday, demanding strict action against its administration. The agitators blackened the board of the hospital in protest.
The hospital authorities denied the allegations, but the family of the deceased woman was firm on the stand against the hospital. Priyanka Patil, sister-in-law of Tanisha, said, “Since my sister-in-law was going through extreme pain, we took her to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on Wednesday morning. After an initial checkup, the doctor told us that her blood pressure had increased and she would have to be admitted. Based on the doctor’s advice, we shifted her to the third floor of the new building of the hospital.”
Priyanka said, “After shifting her to the third floor, we were told that my sister-in-law would have to undergo a cesarean, and since it was a delivery of twins in the seventh month of pregnancy, the babies would have to be kept in NICU. For that, we would have to arrange Rs20 lakh. When we expressed inability to pay such a big amount, the hospital authorities told us to pay Rs10 lakh as an advance payment. We told them we could pay Rs 2.5 lakh and the rest we would arrange, but the hospital told us to take her to another hospital for treatment.”
Taking its cognisance, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state govt had formed a high-level committee to carry out an inquiry into the issue. Fadnavis said, “It was really an unfortunate incident. Deenanath Mangeshkar is an extremely reputed hospital. Lata Mangeshkar took the initiative for the hospital, and other members of the Mangeshkar family utilised their resources to set it up. Some doctors and other staffers of the same hospital displayed insensitivity, and did not give treatment or asked for a big amount for admission, which made people angry. The CM cell also got in touch with the hospital to help the patient, but unfortunately, there was no positive response from the hospital.”
Fadnavis said, “We expect charitable hospitals to perform their duties honestly. After this incident, I have ordered the formation of a high-level committee. It will inquire into the entire issue. Beyond that, the committee will also work out ways to monitor the functioning of charitable hospitals across the state and if they are following medical ethics.”
Deputy chief minister and Pune’s guardian minister Ajit Pawar also expressed his displeasure over the incident. Appealing to protestors to maintain peace, he said, “The state govt will carry out an in-depth inquiry into the incident and the culprits would not be spared though the hospital authorities have come out with their statement.”
According to the state health department, the hospital management has been told to submit a report on the incident. State health minister Prakash Abitkar told TOI, “I have told the deputy director of the health department to conduct an inquiry into the ‘unfortunate’ incident to find out facts. The inquiry report is expected to be finalised in the next couple of days. If it finds the hospital at fault, we will take necessary action.”
Senior politicians, both from the govt and the opposition, expressed anger over the incident. Cabinet minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “The reaction of protestors is obvious and the mistake on the part of the hospital administration is unpardonable. Any patient, even if coming from a poor family background, should not be denied treatment. The guilty will face action.”
State president of NCP (SP) Jayant Patil demanded the state govt carry out a survey of all charitable hospitals to find out if any of these were denying treatment to poor patients. “The incident of the death of a pregnant woman because of not getting timely treatment is extremely shocking. If the hospital did not provide treatment despite a phone call to the authorities from the Mantralaya, then how would they entertain poor patients? Most of the charitable hospitals in the state are operating in a similar manner,” Patil said.
Leader of Congress Legislative Party in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar demanded the state govt take control of hospitals not providing treatment to poor patients. “If the hospital authorities are showing so much insensitivity, time has come to make them fall in line. At least now, the govt should wake up and do something for the poor ,” he said.
