Pregnant woman denied hospital treatment in Pune, dies; probe launched

The woman, 30-year-old Tanisha alias Ishwari Sushant Bhise, succumbed to health complications on March 31.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took serious cognizance of the incident and ordered an inquiry under the chairmanship of the joint charity commissioner, Pune. The committee will include deputy secretary Yamuna Jadhav; representatives from the chief minister’s secretariat and the charity hospital help cell; the superintendent of Sir JJ Hospital, Mumbai; and senior officials from the law and judiciary department, who will act as the member secretary of the panel.

Similarly, as per instructions from public health minister Prakash Abitkar, the public health department has constituted a five-member inquiry committee to probe the woman’s death. The committee is led by Dr Radhakishan Pawar, deputy director of health services; Pune division. Other members include Dr Prashant Wadikar, assistant director; Dr Nagnath Yampalle, district surgeon of Aundh Hospital; Dr Neena Borade, chief medical officer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC); and Dr Kalpana Kamble, gynaecology officer, health services. The panel has been asked to submit a comprehensive report to the deputy director’s office along with all supporting documentation.

Fadnavis said the incident was very unfortunate. “It is an example of insensitivity. DMH is a famous hospital and was built by Lata Didi (Lata Mangeshkar) and her family. The doctors and staff insensitively refused to treat the woman who came for delivery, or demanded more money, which is why people are angry,” he said.

“We especially want charitable hospitals to play their role properly and therefore, we have formed a high-level committee that will not only investigate this matter but also try to control the charitable institutions so that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.

The tragedy

According to officials, Tanisha and her husband Sushant approached Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital at around 11.30 am on March 28, seeking urgent medical attention. The family claims that the hospital demanded a ₹10 lakh deposit for admission. Despite offering to pay ₹2.5 lakh upfront, their request was allegedly denied.

The family then took Tanisha to Sassoon General Hospital, and on the same day in the evening she was admitted to Surya Hospital in Wakad, where she delivered twin baby girls via C-section on March 29. However, her condition worsened due to postnatal complications. Surya Hospital, due to a lack of facilities to manage her deteriorating condition, referred her to Manipal Hospital in Baner around 2:30 pm on March 29. She succumbed to post-delivery complications on March 31.

Sushant is the secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Amit Gorkhe. “The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital authorities refused to admit Tanisha due to nonpayment of an advanced deposit of ₹10 lakh. We have filed a complaint at the Alankar police station,” said Gorkhe.

Hospital refutes allegations

The DMH has refused the allegations, stating the complaint seems to be misleading. The deceased did not follow the medical advice given, including the offer from the medical director to admit her with a partial payment.

The DMH, in response to the matter, has formed an expert committee comprised—Dr Dhananjay Kelkar, medical director; Dr Anuja Joshi, medical superintendent; Dr Sameer Jog, head of intensive care unit and Sachin Vyavahare, administrator. The committee reviewed the patient’s previous case papers, current records, and statements from concerned doctors. Tanisha had been consulting the hospital since 2020 for advice and treatment. In 2022, she underwent surgery at Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital with a 50% charity benefit.

Furthermore, in 2023, the hospital advised her to consider adoption due to a high-risk pregnancy and complications that would make safe delivery unlikely. All hospitals follow a protocol requiring a minimum of three antenatal check-ups (ANC) for the safety of both mother and child. These were not done at our hospital, and we were unaware of any such check-ups elsewhere. On March 15, she visited Dr Ghaisas Sushrut with reports from a private IVF centre. Dr Sushrut informed her about the high-risk and dangerous nature of her pregnancy and advised weekly follow-ups. She was expected to return on March 22. However, on Friday, March 28, at 11:30 am, the patient, her husband, and relatives came to Dr Sushrut’s OPD and did not report to the emergency or labour room.

Dr Sushrut examined her and found her condition stable, not requiring immediate treatment. However, due to the risk, she was advised to get admitted for observation. She was informed about the potential complications of cesarean delivery and was referred to NICU doctors. They explained the risks of delivering underweight, premature (7-month) twins, previous health complications, and the need for 2 to 2.5 months of NICU care, costing an estimated ₹10 to 20 lakh.

Her relatives asked doctors to admit her and contacted Dr Kelkar and explained the situation. Dr Kelkar asked them to deposit whatever amount they had and admit her.

However, no one from the family physically approached the administration or charity department. When Dr Kelkar finished another surgery and contacted Dr Sushrut, she was informed that the patient had left without informing the hospital staff.

PMC issues show cause notice to DMH

The PMC issued a show-cause notice to the hospital on Friday. Dr Nina Borade, PMC health department chief, who visited the hospital, said, “We are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, and the report will be submitted to the deputy director’s office.”

Political parties hold protests

Several political parties, ruling parties and in opposition, held protests at the DMH. Police personnel were at the hospital to prevent law-and-order issues on the hospital premises.

Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister, said, “The unfortunate incident has been taken very seriously by the government. The health department has ordered a thorough investigation by a committee of expert doctors. I have personally instructed the district collector to ensure that the inquiry is conducted promptly, transparently, and impartially. While the hospital administration has presented its version, appropriate action will be taken after considering all aspects.”

Madhuri Misal, minister of state for medical education, said, “Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty in this inquiry. Necessary measures will be implemented to ensure that such a tragic incident does not occur in any hospital across the state in the future.”