For 22-year-old Tinku Sahu from Bihar, what should have been a routine hospital visit turned into a life-altering catastrophe. His leg was amputated without informed consent, and his family alleges they were unlawfully confined inside the hospital premises for nearly 13 days—until the district magistrate was forced to intervene.
In Greater Noida, grief spiralled into desperation when a private hospital refused to hand over a deceased patient’s body for seven hours due to unpaid bills. The family pleaded helplessly until police intervention finally secured the release.
In Ranchi, the family of a senior citizen alleges gross medical negligence, misuse of insurance coverage, and deliberate evasion of responsibility by hospital authorities—claims that echo across multiple mid-sized private hospitals in different states.
Against this backdrop, the Government of India has introduced a new Indian Standard governing hospital billing formats—an important move aimed at improving transparency and strengthening consumer rights in the Healthcare sector.
The standard, officially titled IS 19493:2025 – Indian Standard for Healthcare Services: Format of Hospital Bills, was unveiled by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi on National Consumer Day, signalling a policy push to curb opaque billing practices.
MUNGER: Alleged Amputation Without Consent
Munger District Magistrate Nikhil Dhanraj Nippanikar confirmed that Mahesh Sahu submitted a written complaint to his office on December 2, 2025, alleging that a private hospital was illegally detaining his son.
Following the complaint, a medical team from Sadar Hospital was dispatched to National Hospital, Munger, to verify the claims.
Case Background
Mahesh Sahu’s son, Tinku Sahu, sustained serious injuries in a Road Accident. After initial treatment at Sadar Hospital’s emergency ward, he was referred onward for advanced care.
What followed, the family alleges, was an unnecessary and financially motivated amputation.
To fund the treatment, the family raised nearly Rs 4 lakh through loans and donations from local vendors and relatives.
On November 24, 2025, 35-year-old Tinku Sahu—who earned his livelihood selling utensils on a bicycle—was struck by a car near Shivkund under Hemjapur police station limits.
Locals rushed him to Sadar Hospital in Munger, where first aid was administered. His relatives soon arrived.
According to the family, a doctor advised them to take Tinku to Patna for advanced treatment.
Instead, four unidentified men placed him in an ambulance and transported him directly to National Hospital, Munger.
Within hours of admission, Tinku’s right leg was amputated around midnight.
The hospital management demanded Rs 2.9 lakh more. When the family expressed their inability to pay, they allege that Tinku’s mother and wife were held inside the hospital for nearly 13 days.
The situation came to light only after the district magistrate learned of the incident. Officials intervened, and Tinku was shifted back to Sadar Hospital.
Following administrative intervention, the family was finally released.
Tinku later recounted his ordeal: “I was given an injection that made me unconscious. When I woke up five days later, my leg was gone. I supported my wife, four children, and elderly parents. They amputated my leg to extract money.”
He added that doctors later told him the limb might have been saved with steel fixation had he been taken to Patna.
District Administration Response
DM Nippanikar said a three-member inquiry committee was constituted under the Clinical Establishments Act.
The panel, led by Additional District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh, included then Civil Surgeon Dr. Ram Pravesh Kumar and Sadar Hospital physician Dr. Niranjan Kumar.
Based on the findings, National Hospital was served a show-cause notice. Failure to respond satisfactorily within 30 days could result in cancellation of its registration.
Show-cause notices were also issued to several Sadar Hospital staff members.
The DM urged citizens to report such incidents directly to district authorities and avoid being coerced into private facilities.
The hospital has yet to issue a formal response.
Family’s Stand
The family has demanded strict legal action against the hospital management.
They allege the hospital initially collected Rs 4 lakh and later demanded an additional Rs 2.9 lakh, threatening continued detention otherwise.
Mahesh Sahu said he had no option but to raise funds through borrowing and community donations.
Officials intervened on December 2, and Tinku was shifted on December 7.
The family claims several medication expenses worth Rs 2.5 lakh were never properly documented.
GREATER NOIDA: Body Withheld Over Dues
On November 14, 2025, a man from Firozabad was admitted to Mahananda Hospital, a 250-bed private facility, after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
After his death, the hospital allegedly refused to release the body, citing unpaid dues of Rs 3 lakh.
The body was released only six to seven hours later, following police intervention.
The family said payments were made every few days, yet they were never provided a clear medical update.
RANCHI: Insurance, ICU, and Alleged Negligence
At Paras Hospital in Ranchi, retired banker BR Tiwari was admitted in May 2025.
His son alleged that once insurance coverage was identified, the patient was moved to the ICU, and bills exceeding Rs 2 lakh were generated within a day.
Total expenses reached Rs 5.39 lakh in under a week.
The family claims prolonged catheter misplacement caused severe infection, ultimately leading to death.
The hospital has not publicly responded to these allegations.
LUCKNOW: Permanent Disability After Surgery
Neeraj Mishra, 35, was left permanently disabled following treatment at Vinod Hospital in Lucknow.
After a road accident in 2022, he underwent surgery, after which his condition deteriorated, eventually leading to amputation.
After multiple surgeries and mounting bills totalling nearly Rs 21 lakh, Neeraj says he was misled and repeatedly asked for payments.
A probe by the Lucknow Board of Family Welfare resulted in immediate cancellation of the hospital’s registration.
BHOPAL: Allegations of Overbilling and Negligence
In Bhopal, the family of 24-year-old Shalu Yadav accused Zindal Hospital of negligence and excessive billing after she died during treatment for a leg injury.
A formal complaint was filed in September 2025 against hospital staff and management.
The hospital denied the allegations, stating treatment was provided under Ayushman Bharat and that authorities had already investigated the matter.
Taken together, these cases across five states reveal a deeply troubling pattern—where vulnerable patients and families are left at the mercy of opaque billing, questionable medical decisions, and weak accountability. The new hospital billing standard may be a step forward, but enforcement will determine whether it truly saves lives.
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