Man Dies After Denial of Treatment by Delhi Hospitals Following Sexual Harassment Arrest, India

A 47-year-old man accused of sexual harassment died on Wednesday morning after being turned away by four government hospitals in Delhi. The man sustained injuries while trying to escape from a police vehicle after being picked up by the police in response to a complaint filed by a 21-year-old woman in Shanti Mohalla. The man, identified as Pramod, vomited and jumped out of the vehicle, injuring himself in the process. Despite bleeding from the head, he was denied treatment at Jag Pravesh Chandra (JPC) Hospital and referred to Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital for a CT scan. However, GTB Hospital also refused admission due to the unavailability of the CT scan facility. Pramod was then referred to Lok Nayak Hospital, but they did not admit him due to the lack of beds in the ICU. His condition deteriorated, and he was subsequently denied admission at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital as well. Finally, Pramod was brought back to JPC Hospital, where he was declared dead half an hour later. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has sought an explanation from the three government-run hospitals involved and a medical board will conduct a post-mortem to determine the cause of death. A divisional magistrate will also conduct an inquiry into the incident. The police have registered a case against Pramod under various sections of the Indian Penal Code based on the woman’s complaint of assault, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, and outraging her modesty. It is important to consider the implications of this incident and address any issues in the healthcare system that may have contributed to the denial of treatment in such cases.