The moment a patient is admitted, billing begins, often leaving families paying hefty sums despite inadequate care and unnecessary medication. India Today investigated such allegations through ground reports from Greater Noida, Ranchi, Munger, Bhopal and Lucknow.
For 22-year-old Tinku Sahu from Bihar, a hospital visit ended in a life-altering tragedy. His leg was amputated without consent, while his family alleges they were kept confined inside the hospital for 13 days, forcing the district magistrate to step in.
In Greater Noida, grief turned into desperation when a hospital refused to release a patient’s body for seven hours over unpaid dues, leaving the family pleading until police intervention brought relief.
Meanwhile in Ranchi, a senior citizen lost his life in what the family claims was medical negligence, with allegations of insurance misuse and hospital management evading accountability – a pattern increasingly reported in mid-sized hospitals across states.
In a significant move aimed at strengthening consumer rights and transparency in the healthcare sector, the Government of India has released a new Indian Standard on the format of hospital bills.
The standard, 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 the occasion of National Consumer Day.
MUNGER
Munger District Magistrate Nikhil Dhanraj Nippanikar stated that on December 2, 2025, an application was submitted to his office by Mahesh Sahu.
Complainant alleged that his son was being held captive in a private hospital.
Based on the information, a team from Sadar Hospital was sent to National Hospital to investigate the matter.
All About The Case
Mahesh Sahu’s son got injured in a road accident. He was brought to Sadar Hospital’s emergency room for treatment, and from Sadar Hospital, he was referred to Munger National Hospital.
The matter involved a leg amputation.
Hospital collected four lakh rupees from a bicycle-based utensil seller through donations and loans
On November 24, 2025, Tinku Sahu, the 35-year-old son of Mahesh Sahu, a resident of Medini Chowki in Lakhisarai district, set out to sell utensils on his bicycle
He was struck by a vehicle near Shivkund in the Hemjapur police station area, leaving him seriously injured.
Locals rushed him to Sadar Hospital, Munger, where he received first aid, and his family arrived at the scene.
The doctor then said, “Take him to Patna.”
Four men then put him in an ambulance and took him straight to the National Hospital, Munger.
After treatment began, at around 12:00 am, Tinku Saw’s right leg was amputated.
The hospital operator demanded Rs 2,90,000. When the family explained that they had no money, the hospital operator held the injured man’s mother and wife hostage for approximately 13 days.
When DM somehow learned of the incident, the young man was rescued and admitted to Sadar Hospital, recognising the seriousness of the situation.
Victim was freed after the DM’s action.
Describing the entire incident, Tinku said, “I was being treated at Sadar Hospital, Munger. Before the amputation, I was given an injection to make me unconscious.”
“When I regained consciousness after five days, I discovered that my leg had been amputated. We sell utensils on bicycles in villages and villages, and I was responsible for supporting 10 families, including my wife, four children, and parents. But the doctors at the National Hospital amputated my leg for money. Later, they said that if I had gone to Patna, steel would have been used, and the amputation wouldn’t have been necessary. They amputated my leg just to pay the bill, and now we are worried about how we will support our family,” he added.
DM’s Reaction
Munger DM Nikhil Dhanraj Nippanikar said that under the Clinical Establishment Act, a three-member investigation team was constituted and sent to probe the matter.
The probe panel was led by Additional District Magistrate (ADDM) Sanjay Kumar Singh and included the hospital’s then Civil Surgeon Dr. Ram Pravesh Kumar and Sadar Hospital physician Dr. Niranjan Kumar.
The panel has submitted its report, following which a notice has been issued to National Hospital. If a satisfactory response is not received within 30 days, action will be taken to cancel the hospital’s registration.
Some individuals from Sadar Hospital have also been identified and issued show-cause notices.
Appealing to the public, the DM said that if anyone faces such an incident, they should directly inform him by calling his personal number and should not be compelled to visit private hospitals.
The hospital is yet to react.
Family’s Reaction
The family has demanded legal action and assistance against the hospital.
The victim’s father alleged that his son’s leg was amputated without informing the family. He claimed he was charged Rs 1,59,700 for bed charges and doctors’ fees, while nearly Rs 2,50,000 was taken for medicines and injections.
According to him, the hospital took approximately Rs 4 lakh initially and later began pressuring the family for an additional Rs 2.9 lakh.
He alleged that the hospital operator told him his son would be released only if the payment was made; otherwise, a family member would be held hostage inside the hospital.
The father said he arranged Rs 4 lakh by collecting donations from Medinichowki, Suryagarha, family members, relatives, and by taking loans. With no other option, he was forced to raise the money.
The family approached the Munger DM on December 2, 2025. Officials arrived the next morning and conducted an investigation.
On December 7, the victim was released and admitted to Sadar Hospital.
The father further alleged that National Hospital obtained signatures and thumb impressions of him, his wife, and daughter-in-law on a document stating the total treatment cost was Rs 3,68,700, of which Rs 1,59,700 had been deposited.
The remaining Rs 2.9 lakh was shown as waived on “humanitarian grounds,” with a declaration that the family had no complaints regarding treatment.
He claimed that while hospital charges were documented, the Rs 2.5 lakh spent on medicines and injections was not mentioned.
The family has demanded strict action against those responsible.
GREATER NOIDA
On November 14, 2025, a man from Firozabad was admitted to Mahananda Hospital (a 250-bed facility) in Greater Noida after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
The hospital allegedly refused to hand over the body after the patient died, citing a pending bill of Rs 3 lakh.
Following police intervention, the body was released after six to seven hours.
What the Family Said
The family alleged they made payments every two to four days but received no satisfactory update on the patient’s recovery.
The patient died at 4 pm, but the hospital did not release the body for several hours due to non-payment.
After police intervention, the body was handed over, and the family left for Firozabad.
RANCHI
The case pertains to Paras Hospital (300 beds), where retired bank employee BR Tiwari was admitted in May 2025.
His son Chandraprakash alleged negligence and insensitivity by the hospital.
He claimed that once the hospital learnt the patient was insured, he was immediately shifted to the ICU, and a bill exceeding Rs 2 lakh was generated the very next day.
Within four to five days, the total bill reached Rs 5.39 lakh.
The family alleged gross negligence, including improper catheter insertion for 48 hours, leading to severe infection and ultimately death.
Despite raising concerns, the hospital allegedly failed to take corrective action.
Hospital Response
The hospital management did not respond to the allegations. Officials repeatedly deferred providing a statement.
LUCKNOW
In Lucknow, alleged negligence at Vinod Hospital left 35-year-old Neeraj Mishra permanently disabled.
In 2022, after a road accident, Neeraj underwent surgery at Vinod Hospital, following which his leg began deteriorating and eventually had to be amputated.
He underwent nine to ten surgeries and now cannot walk.
Neeraj claims he was misled about the hospital’s facilities, asked to deposit money repeatedly, and shuttled between hospitals.
His medical expenses pushed him into a debt of nearly Rs 21 lakh.
Despite filing multiple complaints with authorities, he alleged no action was taken initially.
Probe Outcome
Following an investigation by the Lucknow Board of Family Welfare, Vinod Hospital’s registration was cancelled with immediate effect, and all medical activities were halted.
