Man in 'coma' walks out of Ratlam hospital, alleges doctors demand money

RATLAM: A half-naked man with a toilet (colostomy) bag around his waist and a nasal tube stood outside a private hospital in Ratlam and accused doctors of seeking Rs 1 lakh for treating him, allegations which the hospital management denied.
A video of the man venting his frustration outside the hospital on Monday went viral on social media, after which the state health department ordered an inquiry.
According to officials, Bunty Ninama, a resident of Moti Nagar, Ratlam, was initially admitted to the Govt Hospital attached to the Medical College after being injured in a brawl in Deendayal Nagar police station limits on Sunday night before being shifted to GD Hospital.
Eyewitnesses said he created ruckus outside the hospital on Monday and then left from there in an autorickshaw along with his wife. His wife told reporters that she was told that her husband was in coma.
"We had already spent Rs 40,000 within 12 hours of admission at the hospital. I then left to arrange for more money. However, when I returned, my husband, who doctors said was in coma, was standing outside in an irate condition," she alleged.
Following the incident, chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Dr MS Sagar told reporters he had formed a three-member team to probe the issue.
Denying Ninama's allegations, the hospital management in a statement said the total bill of the patient, who was admitted in the ICU, was just Rs 8,000.
The claim of the hospital demanding extra money was baseless, the statement added.