80 Year Old Man Tied To MP Hospital Bed Over Non-Payment Of Bills
BHOPAL: In a shocking incident of alleged medical indifference, an elderly man was tied to a hospital bed in Madhya Pradesh after he allegedly failed to make payment of fees for his treatment.
The hospital, however, claimed that he was having convulsions and as a result had his hands and legs tied so that he could not hurt himself.
The chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has, however, taken cognizance of the incident, calling it ‘extremely cruel behavior with a senior citizen in a hospital’ and assured that those responsible will not be spared and stringent action will be initiated.
While the family members have alleged that the elderly man was held hostage and wasn’t given proper food for three to four days prior to the incident, the hospital administration has denied the allegation.
The man’s family alleged that the hospital administration tied his legs and hands to bed after he failed to pay Rs 11,000. “We had deposited a bill of Rs 5,000 at the time of admission but when the treatment took a few more days, we did not have the money to pay the bill,” said his daughter.
Ex-chief minister Kamal Nath meanwhile tweeted a video showing the frail elderly man tied to the hospital bed and commented that the behaviour meted out to the elderly man was inhuman and barbaric. He also said that the daughter of the man had alleged that her father had been held hostage by tying him up because they failed to pay the bills.
Kamal Nath said that the inhuman attitude and looting by the private hospitals continued unabated in the state amid COVID-19 crisis and demanded strict action against those responsible for the incident.
Sources said that the elderly man (name withheld) from Ranayar village in Shajapur was admitted to the private hospital after suffering from severe stomach ache five days ago. He had earlier been taken to district hospital and was referred for either Indore or Ujjain, but since the family did not have too much money with them, they got him admitted to the local private hospital.
The hospital, however, maintained that he was tied because he was having convulsions because of electrolyte imbalance. “He was having convulsions because of electrolyte imbalance. We tied him so that he could not hurt himself,” said a doctor at the hospital.
The doctor also added that the hospital had waived off their bill on humanitarian grounds. Taking note of the death and the claim, the Shajapur district administration ordered an inquiry into the matter.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs).
