Former heavyweight minister of West Bengal Madan Mitra, recently out on a bail in the Saradha scam case, today lambasted Apollo Hospital authorities and said they could go ahead with their threat to close down the business in Kolkata.
"Don’t threat anyone. If needed, you can shut down your business in Bengal,” Mitra shouted over phone to the Apollo Hospital authorities in Kolkata.
Mitra’s threats came hours after a 30-year old man died because of an alleged medical negligence. Sanjoy Roy, a resident of Dankuni, was brought to hospital on February 16 after he met with an accident on the state highways.
He was put on ventilator while the hospital informed his relatives that he was stable.
However, his condition deteriorated. Meanwhile, Roy’s hospital bills skyrocketed to Rs 7.3 lakh. It was then that the kin of the patient talked to MP Abhishek Banerjee, who arranged a bed for the patient at the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata.
But Apollo Hospital refused to release the patient without settling the bill.
The family, belonging to the low-income group, paid half the amount and assured that they would pay the rest on a later date.
However, the hospital authorities refused to pay heed to requests from Roy’s family. Instead, they asked them “to sell their properties or gold ornaments” to pay the dues.
Despite repeated persuasions from the family, the hospital refused to release Roy, who is a father of a one-year old baby. Eventually, the family had to withdraw a fixed deposit from bank and settle the amount with additional monetary help from neighbours.
Roy was released later last night and was admitted to the state-run SSKM hospital, where he immediately died.
Upon the news of Roy's death, a furious Mitra reached SSKM hospital and called up Apollo Hospital CEO Rana Dasgutpa and spoke to president Rupali Bose through him.
“I have heard that Rupali Basu has threatened to shut down the business in Kolkata. Let it be that. Our government would not mind,” said Mitra over his mobile phone in-front of hundreds of people. “I know Mamata Banerjee. I think she would take strong action against Apollo,” he later said.
The incident came in just a couple of day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee called a meeting of all private hospitals management and asked them to stop issuing inflated bills to people.
Apollo Hospital refused to comment on the matter and said they would issue a statement at the appropriate time.
