Relatives of one of the patients at BGS Global Hospital on Uttarahalli main road created nuisance and damaged property on the hospital premises and drove away a hospital ambulance carrying their relative on Wednesday evening.
The patient, Ponnuswamy (24), had been taken to the hospital in the wee hours of Wednesday by the family. He had allegedly attempted to hang himself and was brought in an unconscious state following which he was revived in the Emergency Department. The hospital authorities later lodged a complaint with the Kengeri police against the group and also sought protection. The Kengeri police have arrested 14 members including the patient’s father, Mahadeva Shetty, and have registered cases for unlawful assembly, damaging property and assault.
According to hospital authorities, the patient was in a critical condition and therefore was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) with the consent of his family. When the patient did not show signs of recovery inspite of treatment, the hospital staff conveyed the information to his relatives. Senior consultant doctors also explained the condition to the family. The family then decided that they wanted him discharged from the hospital around noon even though it was unadvisable, the representatives said.
The patient was discharged with ventilator support but as he was taken near the ambulance, his relatives became violent, the representatives claimed. They said the family then drove away the Hospital’s ambulance without the consent of the hospital. A large group of people had come along with relatives, who turned violent and pelted stones at the hospital, breaking glass at the premises and interrupted medical services at the Emergency department, hospital authorities said.