Nadda orders probe into dengue patient's death in Ggn hospital

Gurugram: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday ordered a probe after the outrage over the treatment of 7–year-old Adhya Singh who died of dengue at Fortis hospital in Gurugram. Nadda's office wrote to Amit Jha, the Principal Secretary for health and family welfare, Haryana government, asking him for urgent enquiry into the whole incident.

The Union Health Minister categorically said that if overcharging, negligence were found by the private hospital, then strict action would be taken in order to lend credence to the healthcare system.

On September 14 this year, Adhya was diagnosed with dengue and succumbed to her illness after the disease got complicated. What, however, was shocking was the entire process of her medical treatment. During her 15 days stay at Fortis hospital, her parents were charged a whopping amount of Rs 18 lakh. The incident came to light when the family along with their friends took to social media to bring out the corruption in the private healthcare system.

"One of my batchmate's seven-year-old daughter was in Fortis hospital for 15 days. Billed Rs 18 lakh including for 2700 gloves. She passed at the end of it. Corrupt," the friend stated in social media post.

He later gave more shocking details that exposed the state of private health care treatment in the country.

"They were charged for whopping 660 syringes. They pumped a seven-year-old with average 40 syringes a day. Parents kept on insisting for MRI/CT scan to check if she was alive. She was on ventilator from day 5. Doctors kept refusing and delaying the scan. When they finally did the brain damage was extensive," he said.

The management of Fortis hospital again issued a statement in its defence on Tuesday. "A total of Rs 15, 79,322 for 15 days was provided. The break up of the bill has been provided in 20 pages," the hospital said.

Being residents of Dwarka in Delhi, Jayant Singh first took their daughter Adhya to Rockland hospital. Seeing that there was no improvement in the condition, they decided to refer her in Gurugram.

However, no ambulance was provided by the hospital and they had to manage themselves. In Gurugram hospital also, the parents had complained about the medical treatment. After losing their daughter, the aggrieved father further highlighted that how he was harassed by the authorities in obtaining the death certificate of Adhya.

In order to raise awareness about the rampant corruption in the private healthcare system, Jayant Singh has taken to social media actively. He has requested people to highlight the trouble faced by them during the treatment of their close ones in such hospitals.