The Karnataka government on Wednesday issued show cause notices to nine hospitals in Bengaluru including big names in private medical healthcare— like Fortis and Manipal— over the death of a patient who was denied timely medical care recently. The state government had already issued orders stating that no patient having COVID-19 or exhibiting coronavirus symptoms can be denied treatment.
As widely reported, the 52-year-old man had succumbed to his illness on Sunday, after he was denied timely medical attention by several hospitals in the city. He was suffering from breathlessness for a 24-hour period.
In the show cause notice issued by Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Family of Health and Family Welfare Department, it has been said, “The [patient], aged 52 years is succumbed due to denial of admission by 18 private hospitals contacted by the said patient.”
The hospitals which have been served notices are: Fortis Hospital in Cunningham Road, Mahaveer Jain Hospital in Vasanth Nagar, Suguna Hospital in Rajajinagar, Manipal Hospital, Brindavan Hospital, Rangadore Hospital, Vikram Hospital, Sakara Hospital and Bowring Hospital.
Speaking to TNM, family members had alleged that he was denied access to medical care by 18 private hospitals in the city whom they had approached. He was finally admitted by Bowring Hospital.
The notice takes cognisance of a detailed news article published by the Times of India on June 30.
“His son and his nephew have stated that the patient was taken to these hospitals on Saturday and Sunday for admission on observing some ILI (influenza like illness) symptoms. But none of these hospitals have not admitted in on the pretext of unavailability of bed/ventilators. This is a clear violation of providing medical assistance and admission necessitated under the agreed provision of KPME Registration. They should strictly adhere to the provisions under Sections 11 & 110 of KPME Act 2017. Private Medical Establishments cannot deny / refuse / avoid treatment to patients with Covid-19 and Covid-19 like symptoms,” said the notice.
“By denying the admission to the deceased patient, your hospitals have violated the provisions of the above said act. You are liable for legal action in this regard. Therefore, you are required to reply to the show cause within 24 hrs as to why action should not be initiated against you under the provisions of KPME Act and State Disaster Management Act,” the notice added.
Speaking to TNM, the nephew of the patient had said that in addition to the 18 hospitals that they drove him to in an ambulance, he contacted 32 other hospitals who all denied admission.
Even designated private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment declined to admit him, his nephew told TNM.
TNM could not reach a relevant Health Department official on why only nine hospitals were issued notice.