Rigdeb Banerjee, 33 years old residing in Pune, had been complaining of general weakness, migraine and cough for a month. He had tested negative for COVID 19.

On 9th, when his condition worsened and his parents (in Kolkata) heard about his sudden chest pains, they panicked. Given lockdown, they could not rush to him. So they arranged for an ambulance, on the advice of a trusted source. 

Unfortunately, the ambulance took my brother to Sassoon General Hospital on 10th May. My brother was admitted at 4 pm and from then onwards till 3:15 pm on 11th May, when he died, he was not given food / water.Nor was he attended to by any doctor. 

Calling the hospital repeatedly (all through the night on 10th and 11th afternoon) we were told multiple conflicting accounts :-

1) My brother needed blood transfusion immediately. But on probing if a blood test had been done to determine this, we were informed in the negative. "We are medical officers madam. We know when a patient needs blood by looking at them" - Dr. Srihari. 

2) No calls from the hospital at all. No information. At midnight, when the parents called, they were informed that blood test will happen then and the report will come in 2 hours. 2 hours later, when we called, there was no blood test done. 

3) My brother sent frantic messages to his parents to take him out of the hospital. He was fading away - was too weak and deteriorating without food / water. No IV / saline was given too. 

4) 11th May - 7 am. My brother messaged me - " feel like I am dying. Have not eaten yet."

5) Entire family kept calling the hospital to be told that doctor will attend soon. My brother's condition was critical. 

6) 1 pm, when I called up and got connected to one of the RMO-s - I was told rudely, that I am not connecting with the right person and that she is not an operator. I pleaded with her to let me know of my brother's condition. The phone was disconnected. 

7) Between 1-3 pm, no messages from my brother. Anxious parents kept calling - to no avail. 

8) 11th May - 4 pm. We were told that my brother is resting. He had been given IV and blood transfusion done. 

9) However, one of our 'influential contacts' on checking with the hospital, found out that my brother had passed away. No information from the hospital on this at all. 

10) In disbelief, when I called up at 6 pm to check again, the RMO informed in an indifferent tone - "I told you, Madam. He is no more. How many times do I say that to all the family members?"

The sequence of events, narrated briefly, tells the harrowing tale of losing a dear person in the hands of indifferent health care professionals.

Hospitals are supposed to save lives - but SASSOON GENERAL HOSPITAL KILLED MY BROTHER.

Even the DEAN maintained that my brother removed the IV or refused treatment as he was traumatized. All untrue. No doctor had come. No IV / blood transfusion given (at least when alive). No treatment started at all. 

This petition is to save others, like my brother, who have been unfortunate enough to land up in Sassoon General Hospital. Given lockdown, many parents and sisters like us, cannot be physically present to take care of loved ones. Yet there are incidences likes this, that not only kill a person, but kill the faith in the Indian Medical System. 

Let's learn from this incident and save others from Sassoon General Hospital. Let Sassoon General Hospital close down forever.