A video has surfaced of a resident doctor in the neurosurgery department of the state-run Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) in Pune demanding money from a 17-year-old patient. Not only this, the doctor also threatened to file a police complaint against the patient's family if they failed to pay the amount.
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According to the information received, the patient underwent neurosurgery at the hospital recently. On June 4, the accused doctor asked the relatives of the patient to pay ₹24,500 for a medical kit. He also threatened that he would file a case against the patient's mother and brother and would put them in jail if the amount wasn't paid.
Zubair Menon, president of Maharashtra Muslim Conference and a social activist from Kondhwa, who runs a helpline number where citizens can call and tell their grievances regarding any issue that they are facing, received a call from the patient's family, and the incident at the hospital came to light.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Menon pointed out, "On June 4, our team went to the hospital and confronted the doctor. The doctor allegedly threatened them and demanded money. We made a video of the same. In the video, one can see he's asking for money and demands the family to pay ₹24,500 at a dispensary located at the exit gate of the hospital."
The patient's mother, who is a widow, lives in the Syednagar area of Kondhwa. The family admitted the patient under a free medical scheme. However, the doctor asked the family to purchase the medicine from outside. The family purchased medicines worth ₹15,000 as they were not available in the hospital, claimed the family. The accused doctor claimed that a kit was needed to perform the surgery. And for that, he asked them to pay ₹24,500 at the dispensary. And the relatives of the patient said that they had only ₹8,000, they added.
Menon pointed out, "This is not the first time that patients have been asked for money at hospital. This malpractice has been going on for three to four years. It is now exposed."
Meanwhile, Dr Chandrakant Mhaske, dean of BJ Medical College and SGH, informed that a three-member committee has been established to conduct a probe into this incident. The committee will be headed by Dr Murlidhar Tambe, head of the PSM department.
"The committee will conduct a detailed investigation and record the statement of the patient's family and the treating doctors. Action will be taken after the reports are received. The statement of the mother was recorded on Wednesday," said the dean.
