Special Correspondent
Pune: Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital had consistently denied asking for a deposit from Tanisha Bhise for her treatment. However, Medical Director Dr. Dhananjay Kelkar has now admitted that Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas indeed mentioned a Rs 10 lakh deposit in the treatment estimate.
“That day, for some strange reason, Dr. Ghaisas wrote a Rs 10 lakh deposit amount in the estimate box. It’s true. You can ask any of the doctors present; no doctor at our hospital is authorized to demand a deposit,” said Dr. Kelkar during a press conference. “We don’t have such a practice. We provide treatment estimates to patients, but never include a deposit amount.”
The controversy began when Tanisha Bhise, wife of MLA Amit Gorakhe’s personal assistant Sushant Bhise, passed away during childbirth. The Bhise family claimed they were asked to pay a Rs 10 lakh deposit, forcing them to shift her to another hospital. This incident led to widespread criticism of Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
When asked if the Bhise family was indeed asked to pay the deposit, Dr. Kelkar responded:
“We have no policy to ask for deposits. Dr. Ghaisas writing it was an exception, and not in line with our norms. I have performed countless surgeries, and I’ve never written such a thing.”
Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas was a consulting obstetrician and gynecologist at Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital for the past 10 years. He was not a full-time employee but an honorary consultant. Amid growing public outrage, online criticism, and reported threats, Dr. Ghaisas resigned from his position.
“He’s under severe social pressure, receiving threatening calls, harsh criticism on social media, and is unable to focus on patient care. It’s affecting his sleep and overall well-being. To avoid injustice to other patients and protect his family, he decided to step down,” Dr. Kelkar explained.
Dr. Kelkar also addressed unrelated allegations regarding municipal tax dues, stating:
“We have not defaulted even a single rupee. We pay our taxes directly to the court. We had challenged the commercial classification of tax assessment, and we now pay as per the court’s directive.”
Regarding Tanisha Bhise’s death, the hospital has conducted an internal inquiry and submitted a report. Some media reports claimed the hospital disclosed details of her past medical history, sparking further criticism. Responding to this, Dr. Kelkar said:
“The report submitted to the government does not contain any personal patient information. What was shared with the media was only a chronological summary of events. The medical treatment details are in the official report submitted to the authorities.”
