MPHRC seeks report on denial of treatment to black fungus patient

The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has directed Bhopal divisional commissioner and director of health services to submit a detailed report over an incident in which a patient suffering from black fungus was reportedly denied treatment by hospitals here.

A media report had said that the patient, who had come all the way from Chhindwara to the state capital, was turned away by two hospitals in Bhopal recently.

The MPHRC on Thursday asked the authorities to submit the report over it within 10 days.

In the report, the commission sought to know three things - under what circumstances the patient was denied admission; if any arrangement for his treatment was made and if treatment for this disease was available in Chhindwara, why was the patient referred to Bhopal.

In a press release, the commission said that the 45- year-old patient was not admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for seven hours for want of bed.

His family took him to the government-run Hamadia Hospital, but when there was no bed available for him there, they brought him back to AIIMS, Bhopal.

The patient, who works as a clerk with the state forest department, had taken a coronavirus shot on March 22. On the seventh day (March 28), he fell sick and on April 12, he faced paralysis attack and his left eye swelled, it said.

The local doctors (at Chhindwara) said that he suffered from black fungus, and referred him to Bhopal.