Kolkata hospital death: Kin refuse to accept refund, to approach CM

Refusing to accept the refund from a private hospital for allegedly having refused to release a patient over money, the family of the deceased patient on Monday cleared the bill dues calling for "revenge".

Sanjoy Roy, 30, a resident of Dankuni in Hooghly district, who was critically injured in a road accident, died on Thursday night at the state-run SSKM Hospital where he was shifted from Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, hours back.

The private hospital denied the charges but had agreed to refund the amount paid by Roy's family after Trinamool Congress leader Madan Mitra intervened.

"They were experimenting with my husband. If my husband had died on spot, I would have understood. But he didn't. He was not given water to drink, his hands and legs were tied up. Where was this empathy when my husband needed it?

"If he had been moved at the required time, then he would have been alive today. We do not need their money now as my husband is dead and the money can't bring him back," Roy's wife Ruby told the media here.

"I can't get my husband back. I want punishment for all the doctors involved in his case... I want revenge and I will talk to Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) about getting us justice," asserted Ruby.

Roy's relatives and friends accused Apollo of "inadequate treatment" even while raising a huge bill and refusing to allow him to be shifted to SSKM unless they paid up the full amount. They alleged that the hospital delayed his discharge and relented only after they deposited fixed deposit certificates.

Roy's family lodged an FIR against the private hospital in the local police station.

"We have cleared all the dues today (Monday) and got back the fixed deposit certificates. In fact the hospital authorities asked me to sign a document which mentions that we have received a lump-sum amount but we have declined to sign. The police seized the document," said Roy's wife.

However, the private hospital authorities said they stand committed to refund the entire cost of treatment.

"We stand by our commitment to refund the entire cost of treatment of Shri Sanjoy Roy. However, out of respect for the wishes and sentiments of his family, we have accepted the balance, and returned all documents that were deposited with us," said the hospital's Chief Operating Officer Dr Joy Basu.

The West Bengal government on Saturday summoned the hospital authorities as it was not completely satisfied with the explanation given by them.

--IANS

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