The family of a 63-year-old man who died at Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo has alleged that they were not allowed to take the body as they had not cleared the dues. Ramesh Nathwani, who suffered septicaemia after an amputation, died of a cardiac arrest on March 31 at around 6 p.m.
The hospital authorities said the family members went missing for nearly two days and refused to pay the bill. They also claimed that the family insisted that the patient should not be resuscitated. “Only after we cleared the ₹5.5-lakh bill on April 1 were we allowed to take the body home,” said Mehul Kataria, the deceased’s nephew. The relatives alleged that despite the patient’s worsening condition, the doctors continued to keep him on ventilator.
A hospital spokesperson said the hospital made it clear that as long as the patient was alive they could not take him off the ventilator. The hospital also refuted that family’s claim that they signed a ‘Do not resuscitate’ form. “After the death, the body was released even without the bill being settled,” he added.
