दर्द का हद से गुज़रना है, दवा बन जाना
(When the pain crosses all limits, it becomes the treatment) – Mirza Ghalib
IN December 2024, another shocking case of violation of patients’ rights and huge financial demand by a private hospital sparked public outrage and media attention.
During this incident in Pune, the family of 35-year-old Tejaswini, who passed away on December 9, 2024, was forced to resort to a hunger strike outside a prominent private hospital to claim the body of their family member.
The family alleged that despite the ₹52 lakh they had already spent on her treatment, the hospital withheld Tejaswini’s body for an entire day demanding an additional ₹12 lakh. This triggered a hunger strike by the family and community members outside the hospital, asking for the body to be handed over and condemning what they called “heartless and insensitive” behaviour.
Such incidents, where families of patients are exploited in moments of vulnerability, have become alarmingly common across India, and such experiences were further highlighted during the COVID pandemic.
