35-year-old man in Karnataka's Hubballi dies as pvt hospitals refuse admission, treatment
Deputy Commissioner says incident 'unfortunate', private hospitals cannot refuse treatment
Hubballi: A 35-year-old man from Hubballi, who had developed breathing problems, died after two private hospitals refused to treat him on Friday, his family said.
Sarfaraz Jamkhane, a resident of Islampur, Old Hubballi, was suffering from fever for the past two days. He later developed breathing problems on Friday, July 17 and his health further deteriorated, worried over this the family took Sarfaraz to a private hospital at Sattur at around 6.15 pm. The hospital, however, told the family that it had run out of beds and also asked for a COVID-19 test.
The man was then taken to another private hospital, located in Shreya Nagar, off Gokul Road, around 7.30 pm but the hospital refused to admit him without a COVID-19 test and asked the family to take him to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS).
The distraught family rushed him to KIMS around 7.40 pm. Doctors attended Sarfaraz, gave him an injection, and put him on oxygen, said his brother-in-law Imran. He, however, didn't respond to treatment and soon breathed his last.
The incident highlights the difficulties that ordinary citizens are facing in accessing medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Vartha Bharati, Dharwad Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil termed the incident as ‘unfortunate’ and said he was unaware of the incident, he stressed that private hospitals must not turn away COVID suspects. "It's an unfortunate incident. It seems he didn't have COVID-19. But even if he had COVID-19, private hospitals cannot refuse treatment. They are required to treat patients, irrespective of whether they are suffering from COVID or not. They should not find excuses in technicalities," Patil stressed.
The deputy commissioner said the government had even issued an order in this respect. He pledged to look into the matter and take necessary action.
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Regret participating in 'movement' that vilified ex-PM Manmohan Singh: Prashant Bhushan
New Delhi: Senior advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan has expressed regret over his past role in political movements that, he said, contributed to the vilification of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Bhushan made the remarks in a post on social media on the first death anniversary of Manmohan Singh.
In his post, Bhushan described Manmohan Singh as “a humble, decent, well educated and well meaning man,” adding that the former prime minister’s humility and decency were “seen as a weakness.” He said he regretted having participated in a movement that helped discredit Singh and, in his words, “helped a rogue regime come to power.”
Bhushan’s statement is widely seen as a reference to the anti-corruption movement that gained momentum during the second United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, when Manmohan Singh was prime minister. The movement, led by civil society activists, had targeted corruption allegations against the government and eventually reshaped India’s political landscape. Critics have since argued that the campaign contributed to undermining Singh’s leadership and paved the way for a change in government at the Centre.
Manmohan Singh, who served as prime minister from 2004 to 2014, was known for his low-profile style, technocratic approach and role in shaping India’s economic reforms.
He was a humble, decent, well educated & well meaning man. His humility & decency was seen as a weakness.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) December 26, 2025
I regret having participated in a movement that vilified him & helped a rogue regime come to power pic.twitter.com/6JWOrdCZdE
