Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday launched an attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, claiming that he was defending Pune's Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, which is at the centre of controversy for refusing admission to a pregnant woman over non-payment of a ₹10 lakh deposit.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Thackeray wrote, "Everybody is looking at whether CM Fadnavis ji will act against the trust and the agency running the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune that demanded ₹10,00,000 from a lady for delivery. Her inability to pay this ransom led to her demise. The internal committee denied the charge, while yesterday a doctor admitted it and resigned from the administration."
He added, "How can Punekars trust such a hospital that speaks two different things to save itself and not the patient? If the hospital was demanding ransom money, what about the hospital’s tax and municipal dues? It’s in crores! Will the agencies go knocking on the doors of the trustees and agencies running this hospital? Who is running this hospital and why is it so influential that the CM has to defend it?"
Meanwhile, the four-member committee headed by the State Health Department’s Joint Director Dr. Radhakishan Pawar, which is probing the death of the pregnant woman, submitted its report to the Pune Police on Monday.
The committee's report stated, "As per the scheme to be followed by charitable hospitals for effective implementation of the Bombay Public Trust Act, in an emergency, they must admit the patient immediately and provide essential medical facilities for life-saving emergency treatment till stabilisation."
It emphasised that a charitable hospital should not ask for a deposit in case of the admission of an emergency patient.
The report found that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital had violated these norms, and a recommendation has been made to the Charity Commissioner to take action.
The hospital, in its report, stated that the patient, who was on the premises for five and a half hours, left without informing the management.
"However, as per the Maharashtra Nursing Home Registration Act, it is imperative for the hospital to provide 'golden hours treatment' without considering the patient’s financial capability. It is also imperative for the hospital to arrange transportation of the patient to the referred hospital for further treatment. However, the said norms have been violated," the panel noted.
The committee also observed that the hospital did not adhere to norms prescribed under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations.
"As per regulations, a patient must not be neglected. A physician is free to choose whom to serve but must respond to any request for assistance in an emergency. Once a case is undertaken, the physician should not neglect the patient or withdraw without adequate notice to the patient or family," the report stated.
(With PTI inputs)
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