Baby dies after forcible discharge from hospital

On April 1, a group claiming to be a pro-Kannada outfit barged into a Mahadevapura hospital threatening the staff and abusing doctors. They forcibly took away a 2-year-old baby undergoing treatment in ICU. 

The security manager at the private children’s hospital filed a police complaint thereafter.

The baby girl was admitted at the hospital after she fell from a three-storey building in HAL.

Baby girl Pratheeksha, who was taken away against medical advice, breathed her last on April 2. HAL police have taken up a case of unnatural death and are investigating.

According to the police, Pratheeksha, (2), was admitted at the Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Doddanekkundi on March 29, after she fell from the third floor of a building while playing.

As she had sustained grievous head injuries, she was being treated in the hospital’s ICU. The hospital had also alerted the jurisdictional Mahadevapura police through a memo about the medico-legal case (MLC).

On March 31, a group claiming to be representing Suvarna Kannada Rakshana Vedike entered the hospital. They claimed they were from baby Pratheeksha’s side and complained the hospital staff were not treating the child properly. The staff somehow convinced the group and sent them away.

The following day, around 50 to 60 people led by one Raghavendra Gowda stormed the hospital.

They threatened the security and staff including women, and abused doctors in foul language, forcing them to discharge Pratheeksha.

Though the doctors warned the baby’s condition was critical, the group would not listen. She was forcibly taken from the ICU into an ambulance and then to another private hospital.

Gowda further threatened the hospital staff that they would vandalise the hospital if they did not issue a cheque of Rs 1 lakh from the Rs 2 lakh deposit collected to admit Pratheeksha.

The intimidated staff issued a cheque of Rs 1 lakh. Later, they approached the Mahadevapura police and filed a complaint. The police have arrested Raghavendra Gowda and seven others.