Times News NetworkChandigarh: What was already a difficult time for a family turned even more heartbreaking when the money a man had saved for his sister’s brain surgery was allegedly stolen while he was sleeping outside the emergency ward at PGIMER.Rajpura resident Gaurav had brought his 23-year-old sister, Pooja, to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where she was scheduled to undergo surgery for brain haemorrhage. Having borrowed Rs 1.5 lakh from relatives and acquaintances for the operation, Gaurav spent the night in the open area near the emergency ward as an attendant.Gaurav said his sister was admitted to PGI on July 15. The surgery was scheduled for Thursday but was deferred to Friday. The Rs 1.5 lakh cash that he had arranged was kept in his pocket while he slept outside the emergency ward. When he woke up the next morning, he discovered that the money had been stolen.Shocked, he immediately informed the police. A police team reached the spot and launched an investigation.The incident has left the family devastated. With the money gone, Pooja’s surgery has been postponed again, adding to the family’s anxiety. Gaurav said the stolen amount had been arranged through loans solely for his sister’s treatment, and he is now struggling to arrange the funds again.The incident has also raised concerns about the safety of attendants and patients’ families, many of whom spend nights in the open outside hospitals while caring for their loved ones and often carry cash to meet medical expenses.
