Apollo Hospital — Medical negligence causing death of my Husband Late K Rabindranath and excessive pricing for the coronary stents

Address:

Khordha, Odisha, 751006

Date: March 02, 2017
Bhubaneswar

To,

The Apollo Hospitals
Plot No. 251, Old Sainik School Road
Bhubaneshwar - 750 015
[protected] / [protected]

Patient details: Late K Rabindranath Patient Hospital Id: UHID: ODBI[protected]
Bill No. ODBI-ICH50510 / Bill No. ODBI-ICH50698 / Bill No. ODBI-ICH50882

Subject: Medical negligence causing death of my Husband Late K Rabindranath and excessive pricing for the coronary stents

Dear Sir/ Madam,

On January 11, 2017 my husband aged 75 years retired as Assistant executive engineer electrical in the year 2000 complained of mild pain in the chest and was admitted in the emergency ward of Apollo Hospital. He was examined by the team of doctors and was advised to undergo angiography. Thereafter based on angiographic findings, my husband was advised to undergo angioplasty immediately and 3 coronary stents and 1 Ballon stent were advised to be implanted to open the arteries. Before carrying out the angioplasty procedure the doctors who carried out the angiography suggested us to go for the drug-eluting stent with a cost of Rs. 1, 15, 000 excluding taxes for each coronary stent. We were assured that the patient will recover within 3 days and accordingly a package of approximately Rs. 5, 00, 000 excluding taxes for the procedure was decided. Though we resisted and did not intend to go for such high priced stents we were informed that such drug eluting stents will last for more than 10 years in comparison to the other coronary stents, though the attending doctors had the idea of other complication my husband was suffering from. In view of the recent notifications by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority and newspaper articles on excessive pricing of stents we requested the doctors to reconsider the price. However all our prayer went in vain and we were informed that there would not be any revision in pricing. We were threatened that the procedure will be aborted in absence our concurrence to go for the high priced stents. Having acceded to such high headedness by the doctors we had no option but to succumb to pressure tactics of the attending doctors.

Post Angioplasty procedure due to negligence and lack of professional experience of the attending doctors my husband started suffering from fever, resulting in deterioration of health condition which ultimately became serious resulting in death of my husband on February 04, 2017. Meanwhile my husband was subjected to multiple tests without any recourse which was purely with an intention to add to the revenues of the hospital.

Without prejudice to my rights and remedies to challenge, as evident from the events I allege that the whole procedure was carried out with an intention to defraud us by charging excessive price for the coronary stents and Angioplasty procedures.

Since I suffered unnecessarily, I would like the attending doctors and nurses to be reprimanded for negligence and would seek refund of the excessive price charged for the coronary stents and towards the Angioplasty procedure and adequate compensation for the medical negligence and mental agony.
I would request you to carry out a full investigation into my concerns and provide a suitable response in a timely manner and take immediate steps to improve the conditions so that other patients will not undergo such torture and harassment in an organization of your repute.
You can reach me on my cell no. +[protected] / +[protected] and alternatively on [protected]@icai.org for any progress on the matter

K Pramila Dora
Cell No. +[protected]