Pune: The PMC’s health department has issued a show-cause notice to Surya Sahyadri Hospital in Kasba Peth following the death of a 46-year-old woman. The deceased’s family alleged that the hospital delayed life-saving treatment because they could not immediately pay an advance deposit.The deceased, Sushila Shinde, a vegetable vendor, is survived by her husband and two children. According to her daughter, Pooja Shinde, the family arrived at the hospital at 3.30am on July 7 after Sushila complained of breathlessness. She had a history of cardiac complications and undergone a heart valve operation at the same facility in 2020.“The doctor said my mother needed ICU admission but insisted we deposit at least Rs40,000 in advance,” Pooja said. “After some time, we were able to deposit a first installment of Rs15,000 at the reception. At that time, we were told that my mother had been admitted to the ICU. By 7:30 a.m., we paid another Rs15,000.”The family claimed that by the time treatment began, the patient’s condition had deteriorated significantly. “At 10.30am, we were told she had passed away. The hospital delayed treatment because of money, and that cost my mother her life,” Pooja said in her statement recorded at the Faraskhana police station.Under the patient’s rights charter and multiple Supreme Court rulings, hospitals are legally mandated to initiate basic medical care immediately in emergencies, without delaying for paperwork or payment.Surya Sahyadri Hospital has refuted the claims of negligence. In an official statement, the hospital said: “The patient was brought in critical condition and immediately attended to by the clinical team. Following an initial assessment, the team quickly initiated all necessary investigations and treatment… The relatives were counseled about the critical condition and were timely updated, following all medical protocols.”Following the woman’s death, her body was sent to Sassoon Hospital for a postmortem. The PMC health department intervened on Wednesday.Dr Suryakant Devkar, assistant health officer at Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), confirmed the development: “We received a complaint alleging that the woman lost her life due to hospital negligence. We have issued a show-cause notice asking the hospital to submit all relevant documents and an explanation regarding these allegations.”
