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Delhi hospital that withheld infant's body in damage control

Speaking to dna, Dr Simmar Gill the zonal officer of Fortis, said that the baby was provided the best care possible, the hospital did not realise the family was EWS initially and, once they did, they waived the outstanding sum and released the body.

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A day after it's alleged harassment of a family from the Economically Weaker Section generated a furore in the national capital, Fortis Hospital, is in damage control mode. One of the city's most high-end, premier private medical facilities made headlines when news emerged that, on the intervening night of August 22-23 they had withheld the body of a deceased 17-day old infant, until the family coughed up an outstanding amount of 3,500 to cover their bill.

Speaking to dna, Dr Simmar Gill the zonal officer of Fortis, said that the baby was provided the best care possible, the hospital did not realise the family was EWS initially and, once they did, they waived the outstanding sum and released the body.

On the night of August 22, Sandeep Kumar, a driver living in Masoodpur village, near Vasant Kunj, rushed his baby boy, gasping and wheezing for breath to Fortis, Vasant Kunj, the nearest hospital for him. The boy had been born with a congenital heart defect, but doctors in AIIMS had told Kumar the baby would live as long as he was on proper medication. Kumar recalled their instructions, if the boy was to have the slightest shortness of breath rush to the nearest hospital and clinic.

This is how he ended up in Fortis, his first time in a government hospital, where neither he nor any of his family knew they were entitled to free treatment as BPL card holders. Instead, when asked for a deposit of Rs 18000, the extended family hurriedly put together 14,500.

"It took two hours to get the money, and only then did the main doctor show up," said Kumar. "If they had come on time maybe my son would be alive. When I told the doctor that he said that a doctor is god. "

Dr Gill refuted this saying that the child came in "seriously sick" and "at midnight a neonatologist was attending to him. However, he died of cardio-respiratory arrest." He flatly denied any rudeness from his staff. Kumar said that the staff told him his baby's body would rot there till he gave the money. According to Gill said that the entire staff had been checked and no one spoke in such a manner.

"We have notices and boards announcing the number of EWS beds available and with guidelines for patients. One a few weeks ago we received a letter from the government authorities after a surprise check, commending our EWS services," said Dr. Gill. By his own admission, Fortis is one of the identified private hospitals that has to give free treatment to 25% OPD and 10% IPD EWS patients. As of today, the hospital says they have 38 outpatients seen on Tuesday, 7 in patients in the morning, 4 of whom got discharged by evening.

Kumar, who could not read any of the boards in the hospital, who said that the staff was of no help at all, only learnt about his right as a BPL card-holder on Sunday morning after a hospital guard took pity and told him. Even then, as he did not have his original card on him, the hospital refused to accept copy faxed from his village in Jharkhand. They also refused to accept Kumar's brother's card, saying that would cause irregularity in paper-work.

It was only when Kumar contacted the local AAP workers did he get his son back.

"Perhaps that is something we can learn from this, better communication with those who cannot read or understand our notices," admitted Gill. He also said that the hospital would refund the money the family had initially deposited, though as of now Kumar has not heard from them in this matter.

This baby was the first successful live birth Kumar and his wife had after four miscarriages. His wife has not eaten anything in the past two days. "The AIIMS doctors told me we will make him completely fine. He looked like such a healthy child. Now we can't have any more children," said Kumar.

dna tried contacted Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain to know government action multiple times but to no avail.

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