A woman social worker has slapped a legal notice on the dean of JJ Hospital in Mumbai for allegedly "throwing out" a mentally-challenged youth from the hospital last year without completing his medical treatment for severe leg injury.
The 22-year-old youth, Krishna Mane, died around a month later.
Social worker Siddh Vidya, who is also an advocate, said that since Mane was not given proper medical treatment and moved out of hospital, he died.
On April 7 last year, Siddh Vidya had spotted Mane in suburban Nerul, whose one leg was earlier injured in a train accident and had developed gangrene. She found him in an unconscious state, following which she brought him to a nearby hospital, from where he was referred to JJ Hospital.
In the legal notice that the social worker has served on JJ Hospital dean Dr T P Lahane, she said, "Tossing out a helpless patient like Krishna Mane is a criminal act. My RTI queries have found that government is spending a lot of money to maintain such departments to ensure well-being of patients like him, who was not only severely injured, but was also a roadside orphan, mentally-challenged, poorest of poor, homeless, and illiterate."
"Initially, the JJ administration denied him admission stating that he did not have an I-card. After my strong protest, they finally admitted him. However, they did not maintain his treatment records. After two days, I was shocked when I got a call from a railway passenger saying that Mane was lying at Sandhurst Road railway station and was asking for me (as Mane had her mobile number). I instantly realised that hospital management has tossed the patient," she said.
"When I enquired at the hospital, a doctor said that Mane was referred to J J Hospital police station for being taken to a beggars' home. However, when enquired at JJ Police, they straightaway denied that any such patient was handed over to them," she said.
In the notice, she has also accused the hospital authorities of forging the documents to show that Mane had been handed over to the police.
She then took Mane to an orphanage in suburban Vikhroli, where he died a month later.
"Mane died due to lack of medical treatment... this is a blot on our system," she said.
In the notice, she further said, "I am very disheartened to say your hospital had shown utmost apathy towards the patient.
"Under the above facts and circumstances I request you to promptly enquire into the matter and take severest action against the culprits, failing which I would be forced to take suitable legal action against the hospital and the persons responsible for heinous act on their part."
When contacted, JJ Hospital dean Dr Lahane said they were yet to receive the notice and assured to look into the matter.
