Junior doctor dies at Hyderabad Hospital amid alleged billing pressure; Medicover Hospital denies claims
Madhapur: A junior doctor tragically passed away while undergoing treatment at Medicover Hospital in Madhapur on November 6, 2024.
The deceased, identified as Naga Priya, had been admitted to the hospital a day earlier, on November 4, after experiencing symptoms initially believed to be food poisoning.
According to the deceased’s family, hospital staff initially diagnosed Naga Priya with an infection and informed them that she was in critical condition and required ventilator support in the ICU. “We thought it was food poisoning, but the doctors said it was an infection, and Naga Priya’s condition was critical,” a family member said. The family was asked to pay an advance of one lakh rupees for her treatment on the day of admission.
As her condition deteriorated, the family was told that multiple organs had been affected, including the liver and kidneys. The doctors allegedly informed the family that additional treatments were necessary, and visitation was restricted to specific hours.
“Later, we were told her brain had stopped functioning, and she was declared brain dead,” a family member said. By the time she passed away, the family had already paid around Rs. 7 to 8 lakhs for her treatment.
However, after her death, the family claimed the hospital demanded an additional Rs. 3 lakhs before they could give her body. “They asked us to pay Rs. 3 lakhs to get the body, which was wrong,” a relative said.
The family has protested the hospital’s actions and is calling for an investigation into the matter. They allege that the hospital pressured them for money.
#Hyderabad – A tragic incident unfolded at #MedicoverHospital, #Madhapur, where junior doctor Nagapriya passed away during treatment. Her family alleges that hospital staff withheld news of her death & pressured them to pay an additional ₹1 lakh. They had already paid ₹3 lakhs. pic.twitter.com/OumoX91b4j
— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) November 6, 2024
In response to the claims, Medicover Hospitals has issued a statement strongly refuting the allegations. The hospital clarified that Naga Priya was admitted in a critical condition with severe dehydration, acute liver failure, thrombocytopenia, septic shock, multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), new-onset seizures, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). The medical team, led by Dr. Lakshmikanth Reddy, immediately initiated intensive life-support measures, including ventilation, fluid resuscitation, vasopressin support, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, plasmapheresis, and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT).
Despite these exhaustive efforts, Naga Priya’s condition continued to deteriorate, and she tragically passed away on November 6, 2024. Throughout her treatment, the hospital provided regular updates to the family about her prognosis and supported their decision to transition to end-of-life care.
Medicover Hospitals also emphasized its compassion by waiving a significant portion of the treatment costs, reducing the total bill from ₹3.10 lakh to ₹50,000 for essential pharmacy and investigation expenses. The family paid ₹30,000 and subsequently took the patient’s body.
Dr. Sharath Reddy, Executive Director of Medicover Group, responded to the media reports, stating, “Our commitment is to every patient’s well-being, and misleading narratives undermine the trust that patients and their families place in doctors and hospitals.”
Dr. Satish Kailasam, Group Medical Director, and Dr. Lakshmikanth Reddy, Consultant in Internal Medicine, along with Dr. Mithilesh, Critical Care Intensivist, all of Medicover Hospitals, called on the community to rely on verified information and to continue placing trust in the dedicated healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to save lives.
