Stroke patient dies after 4 hospitals refuse treatment

A 35-year-old stroke patient lost his life while being shunted in an ambulance from one hospital to another.

Mohammed Sayeed died after being denied timely treatment. His family had to run from pillar to post for six hours on Saturday after being turned away by three private hospitals and one government hospital.

While the private hospital turned him away on grounds that he was unable to foot the medical bills, KC General Hospital in Malleswaram refused to admit him for want of a ventilator.

According to a source close to Sayeed’s family, he was admitted to a private tertiary care hospital on Tumakuru Road on Friday. He was referred to KC General hospital from there at 11 am. “His family was told that they will not be able to pay the bills.

His wife works as a housemaid to make a living.” The source claimed that he was brought to KC General Hospital at 12 noon and rushed to the emergency department. “The patient was not even given primary treatment. After nearly two-and-a-half hours, they were told that the hospital did not have vacant ventilator beds and was referred elsewhere.”

He was later taken in the same ambulance to a private multi-speciality hospital on Hesarghattha Main Road. The patient was allegedly kept waiting outside the hospital in the ambulance for three hours as the family did not have enough money for his admission.

“The ambulance driver told the family that the oxygen levels in the cylinder were depleting and that he had to be rushed inside immediately. However, the hospital authorities paid no heed to this,” said the source. His wife had to later contact her employers seeking help.

Local MLA S Muniraju had to later intervene. In turn, Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare Shalini Rajaneesh, had to direct the hospital authorities to consider the case. When DH spoke to her, she said, “We tried our best. Action would be taken against KC General Hospital staff for this.” After a three-hour of wait in the ambulance, he was declared brought dead at Sapthagiri Hospital.