Madhya Pradesh: Patient allegedly tied to bed over non-payment of hospital bills
Shajapur: An elderly patient was allegedly tied to a bed at a private hospital in Madhya Pradesh over non-payment of medical bills, prompting the state government to order a probe and stern action in the matter.
While the hospital, located in Shajapur city, denied tying the patient for non-payment of bills, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, taking note of media reports in this regard, promised strict action against the "cruel" act.
According to reports in a section of media, the patient, hailing from Ranayda village in neighbouring Rajgarh district, was tied to the hospital bed for not settling the final bill and his daughter was not allowed to take him home.
Taking serious note of it, Chouhan in a tweet said, "We have taken into cognisance the matter of a senior citizen being treated in a cruel manner in a hospital. The accused persons will not be spared and strict action will be taken."
Newly-appointed Shajapur collector Dinesh Jain, who took charge on Saturday, has ordered a probe which is being conducted by sub-divisional magistrate S L Solanki.
When contacted, Solanki said the probe report would be submitted to the collector by Sunday evening.
However, City Hospital director Dr Varun Bajaj said the 65-year-old patient, who is claimed to be around 80 years old in media reports, was discharged on Friday "without taking the due amount".
"The patient was having intestinal problems and in order to administer the medicine, his legs were tied to the bed while his hands were held by his family during the process," Bajaj claimed.
He said police were informed after those attending the patient expressed inability to pay the bill and insisted on taking him home.
The patient's daughter, who was with him in hospital, could not be contacted for comments. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath termed the incident as "inhuman and barbaric".
"During corona pandemic, private hospitals are looting patients and doing things the way they like. Strict action should be taken against the accused," Nath tweeted.
"His (patient's) daughter alleged the hospital had tied her father with ropes with the bed as they are unable to pay the bill. It is inhuman and barbaric," he added.
However, the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) district secretary Dr Praveen Singh Gohil said if the Shajapur administration takes action in the matter on the basis of media reports, they will strongly protest against it.
Gohil said an IMA member must be part of the probe team.
प्रदेश के शाजापुर में एक अस्पताल में एक बुजुर्ग व्यक्ति से ऐसा अमानवीय , बर्बर व्यवहार।
— Office Of Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) June 6, 2020
बेटी का आरोप अस्पताल का बिल नहीं चुकाने पर पिता के हाथ-पैर रस्सियों से बांध बंधक बनाया।
1/2 pic.twitter.com/c46gXjUgfg
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Strictest action promised after students forced to remove sacred thread at Bengaluru CET exam centre
Bengaluru (PTI): Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha G on Monday said the government has decided to take the “strictest possible action” against those responsible for allegedly forcing some students to remove their ‘janivara’ (sacred thread) before entering the venue of the CET exam last week.
He said a committee of senior officials constituted to inquire into the incident reported that, prima facie, it appears the students were “intentionally” made to remove the ‘janivara’.
The city police have already booked three staff members of a private college in Bengaluru for allegedly forcing some students to remove their ‘janivara’ before entering the venue of the Common Entrance Test (CET-2026) last week.
Similar incidents last year in Shivamogga and Bidar had triggered controversy, following which the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) issued clear directions not to force students to remove any religious identification or symbol during exams.
“Despite KEA taking measures such as appointing dress code officials and providing training on dos and don’ts to prevent such incidents from recurring after last year’s cases, there has been a dereliction of duty this time,” Jagadeesha told reporters here.
“To take strict action against those responsible, an FIR has been registered, and arrests have been made. An inquiry has been conducted by senior officials, and those responsible have been suspended,” he added.
Stating that the inquiry report has been submitted at the district level, he said it will be forwarded to the government.
Based on the findings, it has also been decided that KEA will not conduct CET exams at the institution where the incident occurred, he added.
“The strictest possible action is being taken by the district administration and the government,” he added.
The deputy commissioner had constituted a committee headed by the additional deputy commissioner to investigate the incident and submit a report within two days.
“Exams have been held at several centres across the state, and nowhere else has this issue occurred. If students were forced to remove ‘janivara’ at this centre, it appears that it was intentional. We have taken it seriously,” he said, adding that strict action has been recommended to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Noting that senior officials were appointed for the inquiry, the DC said that after a thorough investigation and verification—which included statements from students, the school principal, exam observers, CCTV footage, and documents—it prima facie appears that students were intentionally made to remove the ‘janivara’.
“We are recommending strict action. The government has also ordered a detailed police investigation, and an FIR has been registered in connection with the incident,” he added.
