Mumbai: Hundreds of residents from Cuffe Parade staged a protest outside Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) Hospital near Crawford Market in South Mumbai on Wednesday night after the death of a 22-year-old patient, Rohit Shankar Chavan.
Rohit, a resident of Cuffe Parade, was admitted to GT Hospital around 1 am on August 6 with high fever, severe cold, and cough. According to his family, doctors had initially assured them that his condition was not serious and he would recover soon.
“One of the doctors told us there was nothing to worry about. Rohit had shown improvement by Wednesday afternoon, and we were planning to take him home. Even Rohit wanted to be discharged. We had already discussed this with the doctors,” said a family member.
However, by Wednesday evening, Rohit reportedly complained of chest and stomach pain, following which he was shifted to the ICU. His brother Rahul Chavan rushed to the hospital after learning about the development.
“When I reached the hospital, the ICU door was locked. Despite repeated pleas, the hospital staff did not open it. We had to knock on the door several times. Finally, around 8 pm, the door was opened and we were told that Rohit had died,” alleged family member.
“We still don’t know what treatment was given to him in the ICU," added the family member.
When the family questioned the hospital authorities, they were informed that Rohit had been suffering from severe pneumonia.
Rohit had been married just last year, and his wife is currently six months pregnant. He worked in the packaging of electronic items to support his family.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Dr. Jitendra Sakpal, Dean of GT Hospital, said, “The patient was brought to us in a serious condition. He had been suffering from fever and respiratory infection for the past three to four days and had already received treatment from a private doctor. Unfortunately, he came to us too late. We tried our best but could not save him. He was also diagnosed with pneumonia.”
