Special Correspondent, Pune:
The recent revelations about Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital have brought to light serious concerns about malpractices in the medical field. In this context, Pune’s Galaxy Hospital and the case of a cancer survivor’s battle against renowned oncologist Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar have sparked public attention and outrage.
A Facebook post by cancer survivor and author of “Beauty of Life: The Diary of a Cancer Survivor”, Asha Negi Hiremath, has gone viral. Titled “Wrong Surgery and a Lost Direction… My Fight Against Galaxy Hospital and Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar”, the post harshly criticizes the commercialization of healthcare. “For many hospitals and doctors today, a patient is merely a number or a file—a way to earn money,” she wrote, expressing deep disappointment with the lack of empathy and responsibility in the medical profession.
Diagnosed with cancer in 2023, Hiremath began her treatment under Dr. Puntambekar at Galaxy Hospital. What followed, she claims, was a traumatic experience marred by a botched surgery that damaged her C5 and C6 spinal nerves, rendering her arm immobile for over a year. Despite the severity of the complication, she alleges the doctor never once met her post-operation, even though she waited for hours at the hospital multiple times.
According to her, the initial PET scan showed widespread cancer, yet Dr. Puntambekar downplayed it as a minor issue, insisting on surgery quickly as he had to leave for a foreign trip. After surgery, she learned that 27 lymph nodes had been removed. Seeking a second opinion later revealed two more lumps near her heart that had not been addressed, a shocking oversight that she says turned her treatment plan upside down.
“Cancer itself is terrifying—but what I went through was worse because the treatment was wrong,” she said. Hiremath had to undergo 20 radiation sessions, which severely damaged her skin and led to unbearable pain and bleeding. “For two months, I couldn’t wear clothes. For eight months, I couldn’t sleep. All this was not because of cancer—but because of faulty treatment,” she added.
She further alleged that she met several other patients who suffered due to the negligence of Dr. Puntambekar. One such woman, suffering from mouth cancer, reportedly had her tongue stitched shut during surgery, making it impossible for her to eat for seven years.
“This is not an isolated incident,” she warned. “Hospitals like Galaxy and Dinanath Mangeshkar have become centers of such traumatic experiences. Doctors must be held accountable—it’s not just a job, it’s a responsibility where a life is at stake. Such doctors should be banned.”
Despite her own pain and suffering, Hiremath is now dedicated to cancer awareness. “I endured all this so no one else has to. I want to remove the fear of cancer from people’s minds and spread accurate information,” she concluded.
