Kolkata: Hospital demanded Rs 3 lakh to admit, she died waiting, says family

“The hospital authorities asked us to pay Rs 3 lakh to admit her. She died while we were trying to arrange the money. We had already told the hospital that the patient’s condition was critical and the family would soon deposit the amount,” a relative of the deceased told reporters.

While the relatives blamed the hospital for the death, the authorities denied the claim saying the patient was already dead before reaching the hospital.

In another incident in Howrah, a man was allegedly asked to pay Rs 51,000 after he expressed a desire to see his father, who had succumbed to Covid-19.

According to the victim’s family, the hospital did not immediately inform them about the death. On Sunday afternoon, the deceased’s son received a call from the hospital informing that his father had died at 1 am.

“When we reached the hospital, we were told that the body was already sent for cremation. We were asked to pay Rs 51,000 to see the body,” said deceased’s son Subhash Gupta.

The family members saw the body after allegedly paying Rs 2,500 following negotiation.