Pune l
Poona Hospital and Research Centre in Sadashiv Peth is facing serious allegations after being accused of withholding a deceased patient’s body due to unpaid bills under the Urban Poor Medical Assistance Scheme managed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The family claims the hospital refused to release the body at night and delayed the handover by more than eight hours.
According to a complaint filed with the PMC Health Department, Nilesh Sharad Mahajan, a resident of Rasta Peth, alleged that his brother-in-law, Mahesh Pathak, who lived in Shukrawar Peth, passed away at Poona Hospital around 1:30 AM on April 21. Mahajan stated that hospital authorities informed the family that under the Urban Poor Scheme, billing could only be processed after 8:30 AM, and if they wished to claim the body earlier, they would need to pay the full treatment cost without scheme benefits. The body was eventually handed over at around 9:30 AM, after the billing was completed.
In his written complaint, Mahajan said,
“We were told that if we waited until morning, we could avail the benefits of the Urban Poor Medical Assistance Scheme. Otherwise, we had to settle the full bill immediately to take the body.”
However, the hospital administration denied any wrongdoing. Renuka Katare, Public Relations Officer at Poona Hospital, clarified,
“The family was informed that payment could be made at night if they wished, and the body could be released. However, they chose to wait for the official scheme billing in the morning. In similar cases, other families have opted to take the body at night after settling the bill.”
The PMC Health Department is currently reviewing the complaint to determine if hospital protocols were followed correctly.
