MOST OF the patients shifted from Bhopal Memorial Hospital & Research Centre (BMHRC) following the staff agitation have not survived, making it amply evident that this state-of-the-art hospital was the last ray of hope for them and when they were ‘dumped’ at other hospitals they died.
Sarita Malhotra, 41, a resident of C-sector Shahpura, was one such patient. Suffering from acute pancreatitis, she was referred to BMHRC from Hajela Hospital on November 28. She was on ventilator ever since she was admitted at the BMHRC.
After the staff resigned en masse on December 3, Sarita’s husband asked the director general whether medical care of his wife would be possible in the hospital any further. The DG assured Malhotra not to worry as senior consultants would take care of her.
Sarita, mother of a 16-year old daughter and an eight-year-old son, continued to be in the hospital till December 19 afternoon. Then her husband Ashish was asked to take her to Ayushman Hospital as the hospital was being evacuated of all the patients.
“ They have the best machines and equipment. Her condition at the BMHRC was improving and we thought she would survive till she was evicted from the hospital. Her condition was not such as to allow us take her to Delhi or Indore. At Ayushman hospital she died in less than 24 hours”, said Ashish. He is contemplating to move the Consumer Court against the BMHRC.
{{/usCountry}}“ They have the best machines and equipment. Her condition at the BMHRC was improving and we thought she would survive till she was evicted from the hospital. Her condition was not such as to allow us take her to Delhi or Indore. At Ayushman hospital she died in less than 24 hours”, said Ashish. He is contemplating to move the Consumer Court against the BMHRC.
{{/usCountry}}At the time of shifting, he was given medical bill of over Rs 1,26,000, as Sarita was a private patient. Ashish could pay only Rs 50,000 and at his request director general of the hospital allowed him time till January 10 to deposit the remaining Rs 76,000. An undertaking was taken from his to this effect.
Ashish paid another Rs 15,000 at Ayushman Hospital, where his wife died next day after being shifted on December 19.
There are several more like Sarita, who met an untimely death following management-staff stand off at BMHRC. But, both the staff and management seem hell bent on fighting rather than attempting to restore normalcy in the hospital.