Chhagan Bhujbal to undergo test in private hospital

The Asian Age had on October 11 reported that Chhagan Bhujbal could be shifted from JJ Hospital to the posh Lilavati or Jaslok Hospital for some tests.

A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court has permitted the Arthur Road jail authorities to conduct a thallium scan on former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal at a private hospital.

Permission was granted on the ground that the medical test could not be conducted at any government-run hospital in the city. The prison had clarified that the civic-run KEM Hospital, where a thallium scan can be done, is undergoing renovations and the medical examination could not be conducted there any time soon.

Bhujbal, who has been in jail after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in March on allegations related to violation of the PMLA, was admitted to the state-run JJ Hospital last month on suspicions of dengue though he later tested negative for it. Dr Avinash Supe, dean at KEM hospital told The Asian Age on Thursday, “The machine is in a working condition, but the area where it is kept is under renovation and hence this test cannot be done immediately.”

The Asian Age had, on October 11, reported that though Bhujbal was discharged from the hospital two weeks ago after he was successfully treated for viral infection, the hospital had asked the prison authorities to conduct three advanced cardiovascular tests — a Holter test, thallium scan and electrophysiology — stating that it did not have these facilities.

JJ Hospital’s dean had written a letter to the Arthur Road jail authorities recommending that Bhujbal be shifted any of the top private hospitals in the city for the thallium test and two other tests, which are not available at the government hospitals.

Dr T.P. Lahane had then told The Asian Age that Bhujbal had been advised to undergo tests to find out the exact cause for his ailments and only private hospitals like Lilavati or Jaslok conduct such tests.

Following the hospital's recommendations, the Arthur Road jail authorities had moved the special court seeking permission to get thallium scan done at KEM hospital because that machine was not available in the JJ Hospital. The court had allowed this application but the jail authorities again moved the court saying renovation work was going on in KEM hospital and it was not possible to conduct a thallium scan anytime soon.

Following this, Bhujbal’s lawyer R.B. Mokashi requested the court to allow the thallium scan to be conducted at a private hospital under the supervision of JJ Hospital. He told the court that in instances when a particular test could not be done in state-run hospitals, they refer the patient to other hospitals and get that report to the hospital so that test is carried out under government-run hospital’s supervision. He also told the judge that the court might direct that the accused bear the cost of the test.

Special judge P.R. Bhavake allowed his plea and directed the dean of the JJ Hospital to decide on referring Bhujbal to a private hospital where the scan can be done. The court has also directed Bhujbal to bear the cost of the test.