'Bill now Rs 1 crore': Man abandons paralysed wife in Kolkata hospital for 2 years, hospital moves court

A woman, rendered disabled following an accident, has been "abandoned" at Apollo Multispeciality Hospitals in Kolkata for over two years, with no one taking her back home.

A woman became disabled, lost her speech, and the lower part of her body became completely paralyzed after an accident and her husband left her in a multi-specialty hospital in Kolkata. After not returning for two years, Apollo Multi-Specialty Hospital has now approached the court for a bill of crores of rupees. In connection with this case, police arrested the woman's husband and presented him in court, where he expressed his helplessness, saying that he was not able to take care of her.

Meanwhile, Judge Amrita Sinha asked the husband, who appeared in court, why he did not take his wife home. In response, the husband said that he owns a shop and does not have the necessary equipment to take care of his disabled wife.

Meanwhile, Apollo Hospital's lawyer, speaking in court, said that the hospital treated her for two years, performed several surgeries, and her insurance amount of Rs 6 lakh was exhausted long ago. Currently, Rs 1 crore is outstanding, and the lawyer told the court that the hospital can no longer take responsibility for the patient.

Meanwhile, the hospital's lawyer alleged in court that the woman's husband has started a new family. However, Justice Sinha did not interfere in this family matter. The state's lawyer argued that there are shelters in the state that provide free services. But the staff of the state-run shelter do not have the expertise to care for sick patients. 

In connection with this case, Justice Sinha directed the Advocate General to appear for a hearing on April 9 and state whether the state has any control over such people and suggest a solution. The court directed that the husband also has to appear in court that day.

According to sources, the 40-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital in September 2021 by her husband due to a head injury. Several surgeries, including neurosurgery, were performed to save the woman's life. But she survived, but due to the injury, she became unable to walk. Despite her condition being stable, her husband, Jaiprakash Gupta, refused to take her home. 

In connection with this case, the hospital called Gupta several times, but after receiving no response, the hospital contacted the West Bengal Clinical Establishment Control Commission last May. After Gupta failed to appear in the health committee's inquiry, Justice (Retd) Asim Kumar Banerjee told Apollo that it is appropriate to contact the courts. 

Currently, the woman has been kept on a general bed in the hospital's neurosurgery department, where nurses are taking care of her in turn. Hats off to our nurses, who treat them like their relatives, even though the injury has stabilized them.