Angul: Private clinics and nursing homes that have mushroomed in Angul district are harassing and fleecing innocent and gullible patients.
A private nursing home at Similipada is a case in point. Here an operation was performed on a patient and then he was sent home, saying the operation had failed. The relatives of the patient were also forced to deposit Rs 16, 000 to get their patient back home.
A resident of Gadatmul area in Angul district, Deepak Gochhayat had an ultrasound of his stomach done at an ultrasound clinic in Angul town following a stomachache. He was told he had a stone in his stomach. To be sure, he had visited an ultrasound clinic in Cuttack. The report said he had a stone in his gallbladder.
He had consulted at a nursing home located in Similipada where he was told that the entire cost of the operation would be around Rs 30,000 and he had to deposit Rs 15,000 before the operation and the rest after the operation.
Accordingly, family members had admitted Deepak to the nursing home November 18. They deposited Rs 15,000 November 19.
The doctor performed the operation November 20. As the operation was carried out through laparoscopy, Deepak’s belly was punctured at three places.
But to the utter dismay of their family members, the nursing home authorities told them that the operation was not successful. Later, the doctor asked them to take their patient to somewhere else as the stone had slipped into his intestine.
Hearing this, Deepak and his family members felt the ground slipping beneath their feet.
They were also told that the money deposited with the nursing home as advance would be refunded.
But it was when the family members were taking Deepak out of the hospital after discharge, they were asked to deposit a sum of Rs 16,000 towards bed charge, medicine and the laparoscopy camera.
Though the family members and the nursing home authorities had a verbal duel, the former ended up coughing up the sum. They settled the sum with the advance money and returned home.
This incident is just the tip of the iceberg. Though such cases are happening on a regular basis, the district administration is allegedly looking the other way.
Even if complaints are lodged, no action is being taken against such nursing homes.
Our correspondent tried contacting the nursing home authority on a given mobile number (99370 03414), but could not as the mobile phone was switched off.
PNN
