Source: indiasamvad | Image Courtesy: indiasamvad bilaspur
[Update: Apollo Hospitals has responded to the allegations saying:
The allegations are absolutely false and unfounded. The patient”s family was constantly updated about the medical condition .
On 27 March 2016 at 01:30 AM, the patient unfortunately expired in spite of best resuscitative measures.
Her body was kept in the mortuary and her relatives were informed about the sad demise.
However at no point in time did we insist on the family paying the balance amount to hand over the body to the family .
We would like to place on record that this story is absolutely untrue and malicious.]
This harrowing incident took place in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Indian citizens might still look upon doctors as gods, but the truth is that many of those related to this profession have become commercial businessmen. After the death of Shanti Dhandhi, the national archer who won many laurels for India, Apollo hospital management allegedly refused to release the dead body.
The reason why the sister of the national archer asked the Apollo management to mortgage her
According to reports received, Shanti Dhandha was being treated at Apollo Hospital and her bill amounted to Rs. 2 lakh and she died in the middle of her treatment. Hence, the management refused to pass on her dead body to her family members. The sister of this national archer went before the doctors and started crying and when they didn’t budge an inch she pleaded to them, “Keep me instead of the money for as long as you want, mortgage me, and make me do any work that you want, but please give me my sister’s dead body. Don’t keep her bounded here. We do not have any money. All that we had was spent on her treatment.” After pleading so much, the management made her write an undertaking to pay the bills in future and then gave the dead body to the family.
How did the player die?
She lived in Mudapar, Korba. The 18-year-old Shanti had a liver failure. SECL Korba Hospital referred her to Apollo on 14th March. Last Saturday, around 1:00 am she breathed her last. During her treatment her sister, Savitri Dhandhi and their brother, Kailash Sahu, who lives in the neighborhood, were with the archer.
The accusation of looting money in the name of treatment
When they learnt about the death, they informed their family members in the night itself. Apollo management told the family to clear the bills. When Savitri and Kailash went to enquire about the money due, they were told that they had to submit Rs 2, 19, 000. On this, the family members said that they could not give this amount. Due to lack of bill clearance, the management sent the dead body to the mortuary. The siblings tried to arrange the amount from various places till Sunday morning, but could not do it. Thereafter, when the sister pleaded in front of the doctors, the dead body was given to them. Brother Kailash has been making the accusation that despite not being treated successfully at Apollo, the patient was forcibly kept in the hospital so as to increase the billing amount.
The Logical Indian community condemns the Apollo management for this inhumane act of not releasing the dead body due to failure in the payment of due bill and the same time is hopeful that as her sister’s body was later released. The money could have been arranged after the cremation ceremony in due time. We request a proper investigation on the complaint of Kailash that the patient was kept in the hospital just in order to extract money. Money can never exceed the value of someone’s life and the sentiments attached to the patient’s dead body.
