Cop claims Bombay Hospital doc asked for ₹1L for surgery; show-cause notice issued

The Mumbai Police have issued a show-cause notice to Bombay Hospital after a doctor allegedly demanded ₹1 lakh from a constable to conduct a surgery in 2014, although

The Mumbai Police have issued a show-cause notice to Bombay Hospital after a doctor allegedly demanded ₹1 lakh from a constable to conduct a surgery in 2014, although the operation was supposed to be free under the Maharashtra Police Kutumb Arogya Yojana.

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After the police naik Sachin Tibe, attached to the Naigaon local arms division, registered a complaint with the police department, the latter has initiated an inquiry. Deputy commissioner of police (headquarter-1), N Ambika, on February 17 sent a letter to Bombay Hospital, seeking an explanation on the allegations. HT has a copy of the letter.

A spokesperson from Bombay Hospital said the case is very old. “Hospital’s marketing department is inquiring into it,” the spokesperson said.

Tibe, while chasing a vehicle that had breached a nakabandi on a two-wheeler with a colleague in March 2014, was hit by a speeding taxi. Tibe sustained serious injuries to his knee. He was undergoing treatment at Bombay Hospital where he was prescribed a knee surgery.

According to the police’s show-cause notice, the doctor at the hospital demanded ₹1 lakh from Tibe for performing the knee surgery, but the policeman told him that the surgery should be performed free of cost under the Maharashtra Police Kutumb Arogya Yojana. Under the scheme, police personnel and their family members can avail free medical treatment at 35 hospitals in Mumbai.

The police letter stated that the doctor then told the constable that the government scheme’s money will directly go to the hospital trust and they will not get any benefit. The doctor told Tibe that if he wanted a proper surgery, then he would have to pay ₹1 lakh. “I gave the money and got the surgery performed in 2014,” Tibe told HT.

Tibe and a police hawaldar, Narendra Gambhire, attached to Khar police station, complained to their superiors that the hospital had taken money from other policemen in the past. In December 2019, commissioner of police, Sanjay Barve, took cognizance of the matter and instructed joint commissioner of police (administration), Naval Bajaj, to look into it. Bajaj then instructed Ambika to investigate the matter.

Ambika said they have received a complaint and an internal inquiry is on.