'Why should my sick daughter suffer for VVIPS ?'

Angry dad says mentally-challenged daughter forced to stay in rat-infested hospital room though upgraded rooms, meant for VVIPS, were vacant

When Sanjay Gurav (36), a resident of Fort, admitted his daughter to the nursing home division of St George Hospital 15 days ago, he was shocked to see that the room did not have proper ventilation, its air conditioners did not function and it was infested by mosquitoes and soap-chewing rats.
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"My 12-year-old daughter is mentally challenged. She developed puss in her leg, which led to high fever.

I was denied permission to move her to the rooms upgraded for VVIPs, though there was no VVIP admitted at that time.

Why is a common man made to suffer like this?" asked Gurav, who is a member of the hospital's visitors' committee.

Upgradation

Gurav alleged that in July, six of the 23 rooms in the nursing home division were converted into VVIP suites, three into a consultancy space for VVIP patients and two into a computer lab, thereby reducing the number of rooms for the general public.



Dr Pravin Shingare, joint director - medical education and research, St George Hospital said, "VVIPs admitted to private hospitals ask for government hospital doctors to treat them.

However, these doctors are not allowed to visit private hospitals.

These VVIP rooms were started so that ministers and Class I officers can be treated by their preferred doctors. Such suites may be opened in J J hospital too."

Added Shingare, "Every patient is charged the fee decided by the government and so that there is no revenue loss.

Rates at government hospitals are lower than private hospitals, so the government will not have to reimburse high medical bills, thereby saving revenue."

However, Gurav said that before the upgradation, the 23 rooms were almost always occupied, but now the six VVIP suites, remain vacant most of the time.

Also, Shingare accepted that both VVIPs and the common man are charged the same amount Rs 150 per day for the rooms.

Gurav plans to file an RTI application today asking for the number of VVIP patients since July and the revenue earned.

Did you know?
Kerala governor R S Gavai has been admitted to the VVIP rooms at St George Hospital while he awaits a cataract operation