Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital fined Rs 10 lakh over patient's death

Mumbai: Holding Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune responsible for violating multiple regulations that allow patients to get treatments in emergencies, the Maharashtra government-appointed committee has slapped a Rs 10 lakh fine on the hospital after being found guilty in connection with the tragic death of the mother of twin babies who lost her life after being denied admission due to non payment of Rs 10 lakh advance. 

After collecting the Rs 10 lakh fine, the government will deposit Rs 5 lakh each as Fixed Deposits in the names of the deceased woman's twin daughters. The girls will receive the money when they turn 18. Until then, the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund will cover all their medical expenses.

The action has been taken against the hospital after the committee, led by Joint Charity Commissioner Rajni Kshirsagar, found that the hospital violated key provisions under the Maharashtra State Public Charitable Trust Scheme by refusing to provide treatment to the woman as her family could not pay the advance deposit, which led to her unfortunate death. 

Also read- Enrollment in Government Health Schemes Mandatory: Maha Govt tells Charitable Hospitals

According to the inquiry, the hospital’s refusal to provide immediate care directly violated Clause III of Maharashtra’s charitable hospital norms. These rules clearly state that hospitals cannot ask for advance payments during emergencies and must begin treatment without delay.

The committee also found that the hospital broke another important law under Section 41AA of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950. This law requires charitable hospitals with annual expenses over ₹5 lakh to set aside 2% of their billing for an Indigent Patients’ Fund (IPF). The IPF is meant to provide free or low-cost treatment to poor patients. Investigators found that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital did not meet this obligation.

The inquiry committee’s report, submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office on Saturday, noted that Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital not only failed to meet these legal responsibilities but also contributed to a tragic and avoidable loss of life, exposing serious flaws in the system meant to safeguard underprivileged patients. 

The government has also directed multiple departments, including Home, law and judiciary and the corporation to initiate ‘strong action’ against doctors, employees and administration officials for alleged criminal negligence in the death of 37-year-old Tanisha Bhise last month.

The Indian Express source said, "The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital has been subjected to a penalty of Rs 10 lakh as punishment. Of this, Rs 5 lakh each will be kept as a Fixed Deposit for the two girls she gave birth to before she died. The amount will be handed over to the two girls when they turn 18. Till then, all expenditures incurred on their treatment will be borne by the CM Relief Fund. To ensure better planning and monitoring, central planning through the CM charity cell has been recommended."

Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, a registered public charitable trust and multi-speciality facility, failed to uphold its charitable responsibilities when a gynaecologist in the hospital demanded advance payment from the families of the deceased woman before starting her treatment. Instead of providing immediate care during the critical golden hour, the doctor allegedly chose to delay treatment, and she died, leaving behind her two twin babies.

Enrollment in Government Health Schemes Mandatory

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all charitable hospitals in the state to enroll in government health schemes. These include the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MPJAY), the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), and the National Child Health Programme.

The new GR mentioned that the updated information regarding the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF) account of charitable hospitals should be updated regularly on the charity commissioner's website. All charitable hospitals must immediately treat a patient coming to the emergency ward, including pregnant women seeking medical attention.

The GR also stated that many charitable hospitals transferred a major source of their income to external sources like pharmacy and diagnostic tests (pathology, radiology or microbiology). As a result, the main hospital’s income appeared lower, and less money was going into the Indigent Patient Fund (IPF), which is meant to support poor patients. To fix this, the government has now said that even outsourced services must contribute 2% of their yearly income to the IPF. Under the charity scheme, a hospital has to reserve 2% of the annual gross bill for the IPF account.

Why no arrest till now?

Even though the Pune police registered an FIR against the gynaecologist, who resigned from his position two weeks ago, no arrests have been made so far in connection with the case. 

The Pune police took this action following a recent report submitted by the Sassoon General Hospital committee, which confirmed that the attending doctor had been negligent in handling the woman’s case. The report stated that the doctor had deliberately delayed her treatment, and this lack of timely medical intervention led to complications that ultimately caused her death.

While the doctor has been booked, he cannot be arrested now since the BNS does not mandate an arrest, said a senior police officer. Therefore, the police took a record of his detailed statements and launched an investigation in this regard.

Also read- FIR against Gynaecologist in pregnant woman's death case