Karnataka hospital where Union minister Gowda’s brother died refuses old notes

Union minister DV Sadananada Gowda came face to face with the hardships brought in by the demonetisation move when a hospital in Karnataka where his younger brother died refused to accept payment in old banknotes.

Union minister DV Sadananada Gowda came face to face with the hardships brought in by the demonetisation move when a hospital in Karnataka where his younger brother died refused to accept payment in old banknotes.

Union minister DV Sadananada Gowda in his office. (AFP File Photo)

Gowda’s younger brother, Bhaskar, passed away at a private hospital in Mangaluru on Tuesday a few days after he was admitted there with severe jaundice, local media reports said.

When the minister of statistics and programme implementation in the Modi government and his family tried to settle the bill in old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the Kasturba Medical College Hospital refused to accept the cash, reports said.

Some reports even claimed the hospital refused to release the body.

When the minister told the staff that they were required to accept the old currency, the management told him the Centre’s order was only applicable to government hospitals.

The family had to pay by cheque to clear hospital dues.

The minister and hospital refused to comment.

Announcing the decision to scrap Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said government hospitals and their pharmacies would accept the high-value notes till November 24.

Various guidelines issued at that time are up for review on Thursday.