YCM hospital: No stretcher, no ward boy, elderly patient lay in auto for 20 minutes; declared dead

Around 12.30 pm on Wednesday, Swapna Gadkar, a resident of Vastu Udyog in Pimpri-Chinchwad, rushed her ailing mother-in-law Neela Gadkar (65) to PCMC-run YCMH in an autorickshaw. Several women related to her rushed to YCMH hospital in different vehicles. They reached the casualty ward of YCMH—where serious patients are first examined —but nobody from the hospital bothered to inquire why the woman was lying on the floor of the autorickshaw.

[related-post]

While Swapna Gadkar stood by her mother-in-law, a few youngsters present in the hospital premises pleaded with the hospital staff to bring in a stretcher, but nobody bothered. The security personnel looked on but could do nothing.

The family approached the ward boys, the nurses and the doctors but in vain.

Finally, a good 20 minutes later, a stretcher was brought in. The patient was pulled out of the autorickshaw by some young men who were at the hospital and not by the hospital staff. Minutes after she was admitted, the doctors declared Gadkar dead. Till late evening the shocked family had no clues on the cause of her death.

“Since we stay on the second floor, it was with great difficulty that I brought my mother-in-law to YCMH. She was partially conscious when we shifted her to the autorickhaw. She then lay on the floor of the rickshaw. I waited in the rickshaw and tried to plead with the security personnel to alert the doctors and other staff so that a stretcher could be made available,” said Swapna Gadkar.

Swapna said seeing her plight, some youngsters at the hospital rushed into the casualty ward and tried to convince the staff to provide a stretcher. “They came back and told me that neither a stretcher nor a ward boy was available, “ said Gadkar.

Even as the doctor was examining the patient, this correspondent sought to know the reason for the delay in helping the patient. The doctor said there was only one ward boy available in the ward. When this correspondent alerted YCMH superintendent Manoj Deshmukh, he said he “will look into the incident.”

Swapna Gadkar was in tears. “My mother-in-law has passed away…they took their time to provide her medical help,” she said. Till late evening, the family said they had not been informed by the hospital why the patient died.

“My mother-in-law was suffering from high blood pressure and had back pain. Other than that she had no ailment. She was not well, but chatted with me in the morning before she fell unconscious,” she said.

When his reaction was sought on the YCMH functioning, PCMC chief Rajeev Jadhav said that it was a very serious matter and he will take all necessary steps to set things right at YCMH. PCMC health chief Anil Roy was not available for comment. Jadhav said Roy was not well.

The NCP, which rules PCMC, on the other hand, blamed the civic administration and the government for the “pathetic” state of YCMH.

“The state government comes up with new norms every time. Because of this, PCMC is not able to recruit proper doctors and other staff,” said Yogesh Behl, president of NCP Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Behl said the civic administration is also not paying proper attention to YCMH.

“After seniors like Dr Anand Jagdale and Dr Rajshekhar Iyer left, PCMC has not been able to rope in a strong team in YCMH. Good officers like Dr Sunil John who was instrumental in stopping corruption in YCMH have been moved out…this shows how YCMH is being handled.”