Hospital to continue treatment after man moves high court

Mumbai: A hospital has agreed to give treatment to an 89-year-old man after his son challenged the hospital’s decision to stop treatment in the Bombay high court.

Ajay Omprakash Agarwal, who moved the HC, said that his father required to undergo certain surgeries but the doctors were not proceeding because of non-payment of earlier dues. Mr Agarwal also sought permission to withdraw money from his father’s bank account but the court did not pass any order on this request after the hospital assured that the treatment would not be stopped. Mahatma Gandhi Mission Hospital, Vashi, Navi Mumbai, stated before the court that it will not discontinue the treatment.

A vacation bench of the HC comprising Justice A.K. Menon and Justice Bharti Dangre was hearing a letter filed by Mr Agarwal on May 7 requesting that it be treated as a petition on behalf of his ailing father, presently in the intensive care unit and on life support at Mahatma Gandhi Mission Hospital.

The HC directed its legal aid service to provide Mr Agarwal a lawyer and accordingly, advocate Rohini Dandekar was appointed as lawyer.

The HC asked her to draft a proper petition and make the hospital and concerned bank a party. The court also issued notices to the hospital and bank.

On May 9, Puran Kumar Sashankar, administrator of the hospital, filed an affidavit before the court saying that the hospital would continue to treat Mr Agarwal’s father as his daughter had already paid a sum of Rs 9 lakh towards hospital charges.