Private Hospital In Delhi Refuses To Hand Over Body To Family Over Unpaid Bills

The family members of the 36-year-old woman who succumbed to dengue on September 20 night at Max Hospital, Saket, alleged that the hospital charged exorbitant fees and also refused to hand over the body till they paid the money. The hospital claimed that the body was handed over the same night even though a large part of the bill was yet to be paid. However, the family members claimed that the body was handed over after the police and media intervened.

The deceased, Anita Sharma was admitted to Max hospital after being taken to three other hospitals.

"First we took her to Guru Teg Bahadur hospital after she complained of fever where doctors did not carry out any tests. They just gave her medicine and sent her back home. When her condition deteriorated, we took her to a private hospital in Dilshad Garden where she tested positive for dengue. From there we rushed her to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. The emergency ward there was overcrowded and Anita meanwhile had began gasping, so we shifted her to Max hospital where she died of dengue shock syndrome last night," said a family member.

"The Max hospital asked us to pay more than Rs 5 lakh to claim the body. We had already paid Rs 1.5 lakh when she was admitted to the ICU on September 16. Then after the media and police intervened, the hospital authorities handed over the body," the family member alleged.

Hospital sources said that the patient was brought to the hospital in critical condition on September 16.

"She was shifted to the ICU on diagnosis of severe dengue and multiple organ failure. Through the course of her treatment, 8 sessions of detailed counseling and communication were done with the immediate family members where her critical condition and future course of treatment was explained. Despite best medical attention, she passed away on September 20 late night. As per our norms, the body was handed over to the family the same night. A large part of the treatment bill is still unsettled," said Max in its statement.

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Source-Medindia