[Resolved]  S. K. Soni Hospital Jaipur — Mis-Management in your Hospital, misbehavior with patients.

To : Executive Director, Soni Hospital, Jaipur.

From : Om Prakash Soni

Ref. : My earlier mail dt 19/07/2008 and teletalk of even date

Reg. : Mis-Management in your Hospital, misbehavior with patients.

Kind Attn. : Mr. MOHIT SONI

Dear Sir,

In my earlier e-mail dated 19.7.08 and subsequent discussion over phone on that day, I have pointed out some of the problems faced by us from Hospital staff as well some of the respected doctors working in/attached with the hospital. In continuation of the same I would like to bring following facts once again to your notice which may be of some importance for you as your Hospital has just started gaining some reputation and if things start going wrong at this stage it is certainly not good for any organization. I hope this mail will be an EYE OPENER for you as well as all other concerned.

For your information and ready reference I reproduce below the basic information once again-

Name of patient :Shri Deen Dayal soni, aged about 78 years

Admitted in S.K.Soni hospital : on 07/07/2008

Treatment given : Operated for spinal cord by Dr S R Dharker and his team on 10/07/08

Discharged from hospital : on 17/07/2008

Reviewed : By Dr S R Dharkar in Hospital on 31/07/2008

Other facts of the case

1. We heard very good reputation of your hospital and also the competence of Dr S R Dharker as a renowned Neuro Surgeon. Due to these reasons, we shifted the patient from SMS Hospital to your hospital.

2. While examining the patient in the outdoor before admission, Dr. S R Dharker asked us to call our mother (patient’s wife) without which, he will not perform operation. We had requested him that our mother is totally bed ridden and even not able to move. We 4 sons (of patient) are here and patient himself is in conscious stage, please don’t pressurized us to bring our mother. Our request was bluntly refused and we were told that either bring your mother or go to some other doctor. Ultimately, we had no other choice but to call our mother in ambulance from Sikar and presented before him. Dr. S R Dharker not only demoralized but made her hopeless by saying that he has no responsibility about operation of her husband. He may die, he may not be cured, and the problem may remain or may be even worse. This is the kind of treatment given by a literate person, who at the same time happens to be a SENIOR DOCTOR to an illiterate wife of a 78 years old patient.

It is also important to mention here that in our country normally doctors are placed equivalent to GOD and at the same time doctors are also expected to act and behave like that only. Unfortunately, Dr. Dharkar feels that he is even beyond the God and instead giving some hopes to patient and/or his attendants; he is harassing and demoralizing them. I understand doctor is not the GOD and he can only do his work but there are many ways of conveying the facts or the limitations of medical science and the treatment being given. If that is not done, what is the difference between a literate person who is a surgeon also and illiterate person?

3.The patient was covered under Mediclaim and We had furnished/provided complete details /papers of policy on 07/07/2008 itself within few hours of admission, required for cash less treatment, in spite of that we were asked to deposit a sum of Rs. 12000/- immediately. There was no follow up from your side with Insurance company/TPA for the same. We per sued the matter with the insurance company/TPA on 08/07/2008, got it confirmed and on 09/07/2008 Rs. 12000/- was refunded to us. When we had submitted documents for CASH LESS POLICY, It was at your part to take up the matter with the Insurer.

4. In the evening of 07/07/08, we were called By Dr. S R Dharker and asked to deposit Rs 35000/- latest by next morning, saying that he does not believe in insurance arrangement. I think it is between patient and the Hospital management and not at all fair on the part of operating surgeon to get involved in it or deal with patient directly like businessman. We had to assure him that the same will be deposited and there should not be any delay in patient’s treatment.

5. Again on the 7th evening, we had received information from a senior doctor of your hospital saying that Dr. S R Dharker has conveyed that “we are in mediclaim arrangement otherwise he could have operated on 08/072008- this means he had intentionally delayed the operation which was very crucial and required to be done immediately as per Dr. S R Dharker himself. Finally, operation was performed only on 10/072008.

6. We understand that it is Doctor’s duty to explain in detail what kind of operation he is going to do and what will be his steps i.e. the investigations, tentative date of operation etc. But nothing such had happened in our case and we were totally in dark throughout the period. Without proper examination and verification, Dr. Dharkar had informed us on many occasions that patient is having cancer and that too at secondary stage. This was not correct at any point of time. It clearly shows not only the casual approach but negligence as well irresponsible behavior of such a senior doctor.

7. Operation was done on 10/07/2008. After that when asked about the operation’s outcome, Dr. S R Dharker and his team was just saying that the operation was successful and it is good. We were not explained about the details of operation and kept totally in dark. Isn’t it duty of Doctor or hospital to explain details of operation as well further course of action but nothing of that kind was done. This is breach of Right of information Act also. It clearly shows the casual approach of doctor and hospital towards patient and his attendants.

10. During the course of treatment, all of a sudden, on 17th morning, we were asked to vacate the bed and take discharge from hospital, although the patient was not fully recovered till that time. When requested to keep for some more time, Dr. S R Dharker told that bed is not available hence we have to take compulsory discharge from the hospital. Even the patient also requested saying so far he is not even in position to sit please allow but all appeals and request rejected. This is VERY IMPORTANT and need your attention that to accommodate new patient, an existing patient, who has undergone a major surgery, whose lower limbs are not working, who is not able to even sit, who still need nursing care at hospital is thrown out of hospital.

8. Dr. Shankaran (a member of Dr. S R Dharker’s team) has allowed us to keep the patient in sitting position from 16/07/2008 for some time. On seeing this Dr. S R Dharker fired on us like anything and said “if you don’t obey my instruction, take away your patient and leave the hospital”. We do not understand what our fault was. Different instruction is given by different doctors and then the Head is firing on patient and his attendants.

9. One day Dr. Bhargava, one of the senior members of Dr. S R Dharker’s operating team, was on regular visit and patient asked him that he still not able to sit what will happen at home? I believe, you would not like to hear the reply given by a person of such a Nobel profession. The Reply was, raising finger to our elder brother, “kya ye log apni yesi tesi karayange- they will help you at home”- Do you think Dr Bhargava has got any right to use such type of abusing language. If you are not able to control such type of actions in your hospital, certainly public has to come forward and do something. You should not forget that doctors and Hospitals are running because of patients.

11. Finally, We were thrown out of hospital on 17/07/2008 as there was reported to be no bed available. Again it took a long time in final discharge and it was around 7.00 pm when staff dealing with insurance company left for the day, director’s room was locked, as a result email received from insurance company could not be taken out. We were in a very embarrassing situation, where to go and what to do? Then we approached to The Superintendent of the hospital and he was kind enough to help us out in getting out of hospital.

Due to all these we could start from hospital with serious state of patient in the night at 10.30 pm (travel distance was approx 150 kms) - Is it course of action of such a reputed hospital that too after paying such an abnormal charges.

11. Some C.T. Scan and MRI were done from outside before getting admitted to this hospital. These reports were not handed over to us in spite of our repeated requests. As a result of this, we are not in position to lodge our claim to insurance company.

12. During our review visit to hospital on 31/07/2008 Dr Dharkar told us that he had done his job successfully while there was no improvement of any kind except improvement in sensation. Dr Dharkar also told us that now if anything happens we have to go to some physician and not to him.

13. There were many complaints by patient even after that like loose motions, problem in urine passing, chest pain, no appetite. As suggested by Dr Dharkar, we approached to Physician at Santokba Hospital Jaipur and patient was admitted and remained there for 5 days. Here again we were advised by Doctors at Santokba Hospital to go to Dr. S R Dharker the operating surgeon, as all these problems are post operative problems.

14 On 22/08/2008, we took an appointment of Dr. S R Dharker on phone. We were asked to reach his residence at 7.00 PM on that day.

On arriving at 6.30 pm, we found that there was a long queue of patients and as such there was no meaning of appointment time so given. We waited for about 1.5 hours and our number came at around 8.15 pm .On seeing our patient on stretcher removed from ambulance, he got furious and fired us like anything, threw all papers and file on our face, we could not understand his behavior like this. After some time he cooled down and gave some flimsy reason for becoming angry which are as under:

Why there was prescription in photocopy and not the original given by him on review day. We were to explain him the reasons but were not given any chance to speak. We could not understand this attitude. Can a photocopy be taken for reading? The original prescription was submitted by us for insurance claim.

He told us that he sees patient of operation at hospital only and not at home? How could we know this thing? Why we had been given appointment at residence by his staff? On approach for appointment why we were not asked to come to hospital rather than giving appointment at residence.

Why patient was taken in stretcher to him- the patient’s lower limbs were paralised and there was no other way to move the patient. Dr S R Dharker knows this very well.

Ultimately he misbehaved again with the patient and not examined him and simply asked us to admit the patient to S K Soni hospital (without explaining what for and why)then and there he will examine the patient next day.

The patient, My father is so scared and humiliated, asked us not to bring him to DR. Dharker again even if he dies. If any thing happens to his life will Dr Dharker be responsible for the same. ?

Please note that Dr Dharkar had not examined the patient, misbehaved, threw papers on his face but at the same time he made no mistake in charging fee. Even for abusing a patient he had charged Rs 300/- as his consultation fee rightfully.

13. Our experience during the stay at S.K. Soni Hospital about Dr S.R Dharker is as under:

A) He is arrogant, not listening to anybody.

B) He is proud (GHAMANDY). He feels that he is the best and nobody in the world can do whatever he is doing. Whatever he does, people have to listen and obey. Means he is even above the GOD.

c) Dr Dharkar is greedy and interested only in extracting money from needy patients, may be consultation fee or operation charges. He is least interested in the interest of patients, their problems or well beings.

d) He is misbehaving all the time with attendant and patients and not in a position to control himself, getting furious on account of small small things. It proves that, maybe he was a good person, a good surgeon who was equivalent to God for patients but now time has come coz of age, he has lost all his control. At no point of time he is serious about wellbeing of patients.

f) He has no respect for patients/attendants or their age.

We hope you must have understood the whole situation faced by us. We are also confident that you are aware of general mis-behavior of Dr Dharkar earlier also but due various reasons, best known to you no action could be taken or you are keeping mum in your own business interest.

Any way, I request you to please give copy of this mail to Dr. S R Dharker and ask him to apologize with us and to patient for his misbehavior. He may please be advised to improve his behavior or else should take rest, worked enough.

If this will not happen perhaps we may drag him to court of Law for his mis behaviour and negligence in performance of duties.

We would like to put now everything on record and if no satisfactory reply is received from your side, these mails will be available for public view at different sites at Internet on Mouth shut .com and many consumer protection sites and Google .com. We will also mark copy of these mails to all news paper sites as well Rajasthan Patrika and Bhasker at published in Rajasthan.

Wait for Justice and action in the best interest of patients and hospital too.