After struggling for life for three days, Nowrosjee Wadia collegian Vikram Adhav, who was critically injured by a speeding police van on Sunday, died at Jehangir Hospital on Wednesday morning.
After struggling for life for three days, Nowrosjee Wadia collegian Vikram Adhav, who was critically injured by a speeding police van on Sunday, died at Jehangir Hospital on Wednesday morning.
The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Prasad Muglikar, said Vikram suffered a cardiac arrest on Tuesday evening and a second one on Wednesday. The youth, who wanted to pursue a career in the police force, had suffered serious injuries to his head, spine, throat and abdomen.
Adding to the grief and agony of the family was an ugly dispute at the hospital over payment for his treatment. The family claimed that the bill was around Rs2 lakh.
Vikram’s distraught father, Hemant, who runs a domestic mess outside his Solapur Bazaar Road residence, alleged that the hospital refused to hand over his son’s body until payment was made.
Explaining the situation, senior inspector Sushma Chavan said, “The Adhavs were seeking a concession in the bill. We urged the hospital to hand over the body as the family was in extreme distress. The body was finally given to the police and the post-mortem was conducted at Sassoon Hospital. The body was later handed over to the family.”
Vikram was among the five youths injured in the small hours of Sunday at the Mahavir Chowk, MG Road, when a speeding police van collided with their two motorcycles. The other four youths were reported out of danger.
According to the family, Vikram’s body will be taken to Gondavale village near Nagpur for the last rites as his maternal grandmother is unable to come to Pune.
Vikram’s friend Mubin Khan said, “The police displayed insensitivity with the family, making them and Vikram’s friends run from pillar to post in this hour of grief. Would they have treated us the same way if we had political connections or came from powerful families? This just proves the common man’s vulnerability and helplessness.”
When asked for her reaction to Vikram’s death, commissioner of police, Meeran Borwankar said, “We are very sad about the incident and for Vikram indeed. I am not sure about the compensation at present. I will have to check.”
A senior official at Jehangir Hospital, who declined to be identified, confirmed to DNA that the total cost of treatment was about Rs2 lakh. Stating that the only payment received was Rs5,000 from the family, he categorically rejected the charge that the hospital had refused to hand over the body for non-payment of bills.
Pointing out that the hospital treats all accident cases fairly, he asked, “Don’t we have the right to ask for payment from the patients whom we treat? Or is it that since the youth was hit by a police van that we should not seek payment?”
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}