FIR against Pune doctor sparks anger in medical fraternity
Pune doctor Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas faces anger from the medical community over alleged negligence in a patient's death, raising concerns about accountability.
The case filed against Pune-based Dr Sushrut Ghaisas for alleged medical negligence in the death of a 37-year-old woman, Tanisha alias Ishwari Sushant Bhise, has triggered anger within the city’s medical community. Several doctors’ groups, including the Indian Medical Association (IMA), have condemned the action, calling it ‘unjust’ and raising serious concerns over the handling of the case.
According to police, Bhise was allegedly denied emergency admission at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH) on March 28 after her family was unable to immediately pay a ₹10 lakh deposit. She was later shifted to Surya Hospital in Wakad, where she delivered twin girls via C-section on March 29. The woman was then moved to Manipal Hospital in Baner, where she passed away on March 31.
Following her death, the Alankar police sought an expert opinion from a panel at Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) and B J Medical College (BJMC). The panel’s initial report was submitted on April 17, but police returned it the next day, seeking clarification specifically on Dr Ghaisas’s role. A revised report later alleged that the doctor displayed “insensitivity and medical negligence,” contributing to the patient’s death.
This sequence of events has raised questions within the medical fraternity.
“This was not an emergency case, but it was portrayed as one to register an FIR. The expert committee did not include a representative from the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), which violates a 2016 government resolution,” said Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, the Hospital Board of India, IMA.
Patil also questioned the process and implications of holding an individual doctor criminally liable.
“Delays can happen in hospitals. That doesn’t automatically make the doctor criminally responsible. If a doctor is attending to one critical patient and another arrives, what should they do — abandon one for the other?” he asked.
Dr Sunil Ingle, president of the IMA’s Pune chapter, pointed out that financial policies are decided by hospital management, not doctors.
“The deposit rule is enforced by hospital authorities. No action has been taken against the hospital management, yet the doctor faces an FIR,” he said.
The IMA has pledged legal support to Dr Ghaisas.
“We are reviewing the committee’s report in detail. There are serious concerns about political interference and manipulation. We will legally challenge this FIR,” Ingle added.
Meanwhile, health activist and Jan Aarogya Abhiyan convenor Dr Abhijit More took a different stand, stating that while the case against the doctor was justified, accountability must extend to the hospital as well.
“The patient, a high-risk case, had gone to the hospital on the doctor’s instructions and should have been admitted and treated without delay. Issues like NICU charges and bills are secondary in an emergency. Refusing treatment over a deposit was a lapse by both the doctor and the hospital,” he said.
