Pune: Sassoon General Hospital Doctors Allegedly Abandon Destitute Patients at Night; FIR Registered

Yerwada, 23rd July 2024: The mismanagement at Sassoon General Hospital is repeatedly being exposed. Many malpractices in the hospital have come to light in various cases since last year, and another serious incident has recently surfaced.

Activists have alleged that doctors at Sassoon Hospital are abandoning destitute patients at night instead of treating them. This situation has been exposed by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi activist Ritesh Gaikwad and social activist Dadasaheb Gaikwad. As a result, a case has been registered against a doctor and his colleagues at the Yerawada Police Station.

Dadasaheb Gaikwad serves destitute patients, admitting injured persons found on the streets to Sassoon Hospital. One and a half years ago, he had admitted such a patient for treatment at Sassoon. However, the next day, when they went to see the patient, Dadasaheb found that he had disappeared.

Upon inquiry, they discovered that the doctor had taken the patient away at night and did not bring him back. This incident suggested that something wrong was happening at Sassoon Hospital concerning orphaned patients.

To expose this situation, Dadasaheb and Ritesh began monitoring Sassoon Hospital for a few days. On Monday at 1:30 am, Ritesh was standing outside the hospital with a rickshaw. One of the doctors at Sassoon Hospital inquired whether he would drop off a patient.

When asked where to drop the patient off, the doctor said, “Take him far away from here, drop him at a place where he won’t come to the hospital again.” When Ritesh asked how he could leave the patient alone without a relative, the doctor said he pays Rs 500 to their regular rickshaw driver, who handles it.

After some time, as instructed by the doctor, hospital staff placed a patient from the new building—who was missing both legs, had a needle in his hand, and was injured -into the rickshaw. The doctor and his colleague, along with the rickshaw carrying the patient, reached a thick banyan tree in Vishrantwadi. The doctor left the patient under the tree in the dark and rain.

Ritesh informed the police about this, and with Dadasaheb’s help, the patient was readmitted to Sassoon Hospital for treatment. They also complained to the Yerawada Police Station, resulting in a case being registered late at night.

Dadasaheb Gaikwad said that destitute patients do not receive proper treatment at Sassoon General Hospital. Instead of treating them, the doctors abandon them outside to die. This is a very serious issue. An inquiry should be conducted to ensure this does not happen again.

Ritesh Gaikwad said, “This type of malpractice seriously tarnishes medical care. If doctors themselves are doing this, where should the patients go? How will poor patients get justice? The Doctor and all the employees involved should be investigated and punished. It is also necessary to investigate how many such patients have been discharged in this manner so far.”

Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Shelke, in-charge of Yerwada police station, said, “We registered an FIR for offence under section 125 (act endangering life or personal safety) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). The case has been transferred to Bundgarden police station for further investigation as the incident began at Sassoon Hospital.”