Kolkata Hospital Seeks Legal Action Over Unpaid Medical Bills for Disabled Woman
Legal Action by Apollo Hospital
Kolkata: A housewife has been left disabled following an accident, and after two years of treatment, Apollo Multi Speciality Hospital has taken legal action against her husband for unpaid medical bills amounting to crores. The woman's husband was arrested by Amherst police and presented in court, where he expressed his inability to care for her.
Following the accident, the woman lost her ability to speak and became paralyzed from the waist down. During the court proceedings, Judge Amrita Sinha questioned the husband about why he had not taken his wife home. He replied that as a shop owner, he lacked the necessary equipment to provide adequate care for her.
The hospital's attorney informed the court that they had treated the woman for two years, performing multiple surgeries, and that her insurance coverage of Rs 6 lakh had been exhausted. Currently, the outstanding bill stands at Rs 1 crore, and the hospital stated they can no longer bear the responsibility for her care.
The hospital's lawyer also claimed that the husband has started a new family. However, Justice Sinha refrained from intervening in the family matters. The state counsel mentioned that there are shelters available that offer free services, but the staff at these facilities lack the expertise to care for seriously ill patients.
Justice Sinha has instructed the Advocate General to attend the hearing on April 9 to discuss whether the state has provisions for individuals in such situations and to propose a solution. The husband is also required to appear in court on that date.
Reports indicate that the 40-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital by her husband in September 2021 after sustaining a head injury. Despite undergoing several surgeries, including neurosurgery, she survived but was left unable to walk. Although her condition stabilized, her husband, Jaiprakash Gupta, has refused to take her home.
The hospital attempted to contact Gupta multiple times, but after receiving no response, they escalated the matter to the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Control Commission in May of the previous year. Following Gupta's failure to attend the health committee inquiry, Justice (Retd) Asim Kumar Banerjee advised Apollo to seek legal recourse.
Currently, the woman is being cared for in the hospital's neurosurgery department, where nurses attend to her on a rotational basis. Hospital officials commend the nurses for treating her with compassion, likening their care to that of family, but emphasize that she truly needs the support and love of her own family.
PC:Asianetnews