An old man was tied to a bed at a hospital in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh over non-payment of medical bills. The man is old and had to face inconvenience due to the treatment meted out to him. The hospital however maintained a different stance over the incident saying that he was having convulsions and as a result, his hands and legs were tied so that he could not hurt himself.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has promised to take action against the culprits. The district hospital has also ordered a probe into the matter. The hospital is in Shajapur in Bhopal.
The old man identified as Laxmi Narayan, is 80 years old, and he had travelled from Rajgarh district, which is at a distance of about 40 kilometres from Shajapur area for medical treatment for his stomach ailment.
According to his family, the family had paid Rs 6,000, followed by another Rs 5,000 while the treatment was on. When the patient was being discharged, the hospital staff gave a bill of Rs 11,270 more and asked the family to pay it.
Narayan's family stated that they did not have that amount to pay and urged the hospital administration to waive off the amount. Instead, the hospital administration tied the elderly man to a bed and refused to discharge him, demanding to settle down the final bill.
The administration has stated that all necessary steps will be taken in the case.
According to District Collector Dinesh Jain, in order to investigate the matter, a team of Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and a doctor was sent. He said that the incident should not have happened and appropriate action will be taken against the hospital.
The hospital authorities stated that the patient was having convulsions due to an imbalance caused by an electrolyte. He was tied so that he could not hurt himself.
A doctor from the hospital stated that the hospital had waived off the bill on humanitarian grounds.
The Chief Minister tweeted, "A treatment meted to a senior citizen in a hospital in Shajapur has come to notice. The culprits will not be spared, strict action will be taken."
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath tweeted that the incident was "inhuman and barbaric" in nature. He also shared a video of the patient.
