Fearing fatality, patient refuses govt’s offer for free operation

DR EKKA MET THE PATIENT AT HOSPITAL ON SATURDAY EVENING AND OFFERED HELP.

DHANBAD: A poor patient in Dhanbad, whose second neurological surgery is held up due to financial crunch, turned down state health department’s free of cost treatment offer at a super specialty hospital in Ranchi.

Thirty-year-old Manoj Kumar Mahto is struggling for life at Asian Dwarika Jalan Hospital. His second neurological surgery is on hold as he doesn’t have the operation fee of ₹1.70 lakh.

Health department offered him free of cost treatment at either of Ranchi’s super specialty hospitals — Vedanta or Medica, but family members turned down the offer fearing fatality. Family members pleaded that patient’s first operation was conducted at private Asian Jalan hospital, second operation by another doctor at other hospital may prove fatal.

After getting information that a private hospital had held up surgery of a poor patient, deputy commissioner A Dodde sent civil surgeon Dr Asha Ekka for ensuring free of cost patient’s operation at super specialty hospital in Ranchi under Chief Minister Fatal Disease Treatment Scheme.

Dr Ekka met the patient at hospital on Saturday evening and offered help. “Health department has no tie-up with Asian Jalan Hospital. So we asked them to send him to a super specialty hospital in Ranchi,” said Dr Ekka.

Asian Jalan is single hospital in coal belt where neurological surgery facility is available. Manoj, a resident of Roam village here in Topchachi block- around 50 km away from district headquarters, had fainted on July 21. He was admitted at Asian Dwarika Jalan Hospital, Dhanbad.

After CT scan, doctors said his brain had been haemorrhaged and two neurological surgeries would have to be performed.

The surgery fee was ₹80,000 for each. Besides, the family is bearing cost of ₹50,000 for medicines and per day ventilation charge of ₹9,000. The family members claimed that first operation was conducted on July 22. On August 24, hospital directed to deposit ₹1.70 lakh for second operation.