Doctors end strike as victim patient’s husband commits suicide

Ahmedabad, 24 November, 2011

Hasmukh Parmar – who alleged doctors took his wife Narmadaben off ventilator on Wednesday because he couldn’t pay – committed suicide today by jumping in Sabarmati river from bridge in Ahmedabad.

Hasmukh Parmar’s wife Narmadaben died yesterday in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) run V.S.hospital allegedly due to doctors took Narmadaben off ventilator because Hasmukhbhai couldn’t pay Rs 32,000.

One day after his wife’s death and his subsequent fight with doctors, Hasmukhbhai today jumped into Sabarmati river from bridge in Ahmedabad and committed suicide. In his suicide note, he clearly mentioned that his wife died due to negligence of doctors.

Hasmukhbhai had yesterday told media persons how doctors were asking him to pay Rs 32,000, though he was having Below Poverty Line(BPL) card. He said when he failed to pay up, the doctors removed his wife Narmadaben off the ventilator in front of him despite he begging them not do so.

Hasmukhbhai’s wife, a resident of Ramapir no Tekro had been undergoing treatment at the hospital since October 17. Nine months pregnant, she suffered epileptic seizure (eclampsia) and was first rushed to a private hospital. The doctors asked her husband Hasmukhbhai to take her to VS Hospital, saying her condition was worsening and they were helpless.

Around 10.30 am that day, an unconscious Narmadaben was brought to VS Hospital and put on a ventilator. After examination, doctors told Hasmukhbhai that the baby had died in the womb due to her medical condition. Around 2 pm, the doctors performed a C-section on the victim and removed the dead fetus.

“They had made a long incision on her stomach and sewn it up. The stitches were big and she was in severe pain because of constant bleeding. Also, the sutures were not healing properly,” said Hasmukh, 23 who had married Narmadaben only 11 months ago. The expected date of delivery — as is mentioned in the victim’s Mamta card — was November 23, the day she died.

Hasmukh had told media persons, “An RMO used to come for the rounds regularly. He kept telling me that he was doing his bit to save her, but I will have to pay Rs 32,000 for using the ventilator. The doctors have been repeatedly asking me to pay the amount for the past one week. I told them I had the BPL card that allows me to avail of free treatment for my family at AMC-run hospitals. But they told me the card was useless because VS Hospital was like a private hospital.”

Hasmukh had even met the senior doctors, requesting them to let her be on the ventilator, but to no avail. With nobody to turn to for help, he wrote a letter to the police commissioner on Tuesday.

“I told him that a nurse and an RMO were threatening to take my wife off the ventilator if I did not pay,” he said. Hasmukh had earlier sent a fax to the CM office seeking monetary help, saying he did not have money to buy medicines for his wife. Around 4 am on Wednesday, the doctors came to her room and allegedly told Hasmukh they could not wait anymore and were going to take her off the ventilator.

“I cried and pleaded with them saying she will die if they did that. But they went ahead and removed the ventilator. Half an hour later, she suffered seizures again and the cardiac monitor showed a straight line. I raised an alarm and the doctors put her on ventilator, but she could not be rescued,” said Hasmukh.

After Narmadaben’s death yesterday, furious, Hasmukh and his relatives entered into a scuffle with the doctors and manhandled some of them. When the matter reached Medical Superintendent M H Makwana, he locked his office and left the hospital instead of addressing the matter.

Hasmukh had told media that the doctors showed no remorse. After all that had happened, they told him they will release his wife’s body only if he gives it to them in writing that he shall not file a case against them. Later, a postmortem was conducted and the body was handed over to him.

Meanwhile, resident doctors of VS Hospital concluded their strike after Parmar’s suicide. They were earlier in the day on strike to protest the manhandling of doctors by Hasmukh Parmar and family.

In a press release issued on Wednesday evening, AMC accused the victim’s family of manhandling doctors of VS Hospital. It stated that Narmadaben was admitted to the hospital’s gynecology ward in unconscious condition on October 17 following eclampsia (convulsions during pregnancy).

AMC stated the patient, who was nine months pregnant, suffered from brain damage, blood infection and high blood pressure. Due to her medical condition, the baby died and a C-section was performed to remove the dead fetus.

“When the hospital issued a bill of Rs 94,000 to her family members, they started threatening the doctors,” the release stated. Narmadaben died around 7.10 am on November 23. The doctors asked for a postmortem to be conducted so that they could know the exact cause of death. They also asked for a medicolegal case to be filed. “However, not wanting to pay the bill of Rs 94,000, the patient’s relatives asked the hospital not to file a medicolegal case or conduct a postmortem. They even manhandled our doctors, one of whom has been admitted to the trauma ward,” said the release.

A complaint regarding the same was filed with Ellis bridge police against Hasmukhbhai.

Today Hasmukhbhai committed suicide. On the other side, Junior doctors in AMC run hospitals were on strike.

Hasmukh’s letter to the Chief Minister

Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi sir,

My wife died yesterday in Vadilal hospital due to negligence of doctors. I too am committing suicide. Though we had filed police complaint and also informed media, the doctors of V.S. hospital killed my wife. I had told this five days back and today I am committing suicide because justice is not delievered. Gyneckology doctots of V.S. hospital should be suspdended and jailed. V.S. hospital is responsible for my suicide. I am requesting that my wife should get justice. And I humbly pray that the people of Gujarat back me.

Jay Gujarat
Hasmukh Patel

On the back side of his letter, Hasmukh noted that he was adding necessary documents and copy of police complaint. He said he was prescribed costly medicines but his wife could not come out of coma and mahine(ventilator) support was removed at 4.00 am on 23 November because he could not pay up. Because of this his wife died at 6.00 am. Doctors should be suspended and put in jail for five years. The first unit of Gyneck ward of V.S. hospital is responsible for his wife’s death, and the hospital is responsible for his suicide.

Hamukh has also mentioned that his poor parents shoud not be harrased by government officials, as they are not responsible for his suicide.

Junior doctors of AMC run hospitals on strike(Video)