Keonjhar: A private hospital in Cuttack has been accused of not discharging a patient even after being cured, as it wants to recover the treatment bill from his family.
According to reports, Tulashi, a woman of Shankiri village under Sadar block in this district, had admitted her husband Sukulal Munda to a private hospital in Cuttack after he was bitten by a venomous snake some days back. Although her husband has recovered now, she cannot take him home.
The hospital authorities are allegedly demanding that the couple pay a bill to the tune of Rs 80,000, reportedly spent on the man’s treatment, before she can take her husband home.
According to the distressed woman, she has already lost her daughter and spent around Rs 40,000 to get her husband treated. Now she is left with no money and is unable to pay the huge amount demanded by the hospital. “How I can make payment of the hospital bill,” she asked adding, “I fear middlemen will kill her husband if they don’t get the payment in time.”
Meanwhile, Tulashi met the additional district magistrate on the premises of Collectorate here Monday and apprised him of her ordeal in writing, but is yet to receive any response.
Even former Sadar block president Kiranbala Nayak alleged that the district administration had been appraised of the situation and requested to help Tulashi.
Family sources said a venomous snake slithered into Sukulal’s house and bit him and his daughter. They were rushed to the Keonjhar district headquarters hospital (DHH) after their condition became critical. Unfortunately, the girl died while undergoing treatment and doctors referred Sukulal to SCB Medical College and Hospital here as he did not respond to the treatment.
After arranging loans from friends and relatives, Tulashi took her husband and daughter to Keonjhar. Later, her husband was shifted to Cuttack.
Unfortunately, after reaching Cuttack Tulashi became a prey of a middleman who convinced her to admit Sukulal to a private hospital instead of SCB Medical College and Hospital. Convinced by the middleman, she admitted her husband to a private clinic where he underwent treatment and was cured.
However, taking advantage of the poor woman’s naivety, the hospital and the middleman fleeced her of anomalous amounts for Sukularl’s treatment and are now allegedly not allowing the cured patient to go home.
PNN
