Telangana: Citizens' Hospital faces police probe

Hyderabad: The State Human Rights Commission on Saturday ordered the Cyberabad police, the Ranga Reddy district medical and health officer and the commissioner of health and family welfare to probe the death of a patient at the Citizens’ Specialty Hospital in Serilingampally and submit a report by April 24.

The commission was hearing a petition filed by an advocate alleging that the hospital had suppressed the fact that the patient had died and continued to treat him to extract money. However, the hospital said the family was informed immediately after the death.

In his petition advocate Y. Somaraju said that 65-year-old Nagabushan Rao of Nizamabad district was admitted to Citizens Speciality Hospital on March 6. Every day the family was updated on his medical condition and on Wednesday he spoke to his family. On Friday morning, doctors said that Nagabushan Rao was dead and presented a bill for Rs 5.14 lakh. “But the death certificate said that he had died on Wednesday night at 12.30 am. This means they treated a dead patient and charged for that,” the lawyer said. He requested the commission to take action against the hospital for cheating the patient’s family. The hospital said that Nagabhushan Rao was diagnosed with a severe lung infection and required ventilator support and intravenous antibiotic infusion in ICU. He was undergoing treatment till March 17 morning. He had a history of diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and Parkinson’s disease.

“As per records, the date of death is March 17, 4 am. That was mentioned in the death report and it was handed over to the family. The amount paid is Rs 4.7 lakh for 11 days,” Dr Ravi Kiran M., medical superintendent, Citizens’ Specialty Hospital said.