Tanisha Bhise Case: Doctor Faces Severe Scrutiny
Tanisha Bhise, a 7-month pregnant woman, died after Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital allegedly denied her admission due to inability to pay a ₹10 lakh deposit. Public outrage followed, leading to protests, investigations, and demands for stricter legal action against the doctor accused of medical negligence.
Mrudula Narale
Pune, April 30, 2025: A former doctor from the Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH) in Pune finds herself under severe police investigation after Tanisha Bhise, a seven-month-pregnant woman, died when she was denied hospital admission. The incident has drawn widespread outrage and has resulted in protests, multiple investigations, and demands for tougher legal action against the doctor in question.
On March 28, Tanisha Bhise was admitted to DMH due to excessive bleeding while she was pregnant. The hospital reportedly insisted on a deposit of Rs 10 lakh for her treatment, which her family was not in a position to pay.
But her health quickly worsened, and she was shifted to Manipal Hospitals. In spite of attempts to keep her alive, Bhise passed away on March 31 to her illness, leaving a stunned community and a grieving family.
The doctor was recently called in for questioning by the Alankar police, who questioned him for hours regarding his involvement in the incident. Officials asked for information regarding the hospital’s refusal to accept Bhise and the reasons behind the demand for the large deposit. The doctor was said to have been cooperative during the interrogation, although nothing new came out except what had already been reported in the media.
The tragedy has put DMH in the eye of a huge storm, with outrage in the public spilling over into demonstrations outside the hospital. The state government acted by constituting four committees to examine the issue thoroughly. One of these, a six-member committee from Sassoon General Hospital, found that the physician’s conduct was medical negligence and showed a lack of sensitivity to the critical condition of the patient. The report has helped to fuel public calls for action and justice.
After the incident, the doctor quit his job at DMH, a step that has succeeded only in dampening the public’s anger. On the complaint of Bhise’s sister-in-law, the Alankar police have logged a First Information Report (FIR) for Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, or causing death by negligence but a lesser charge. This has resulted in increased discontent among Bhise’s family and some social organizations, who claim that a more stringent section of the law must be used. They have also demanded the arrest of the doctor, stating that the existing charge does not do justice to the seriousness of the incident.
The case has brought to light serious issues in the healthcare system, specifically about access to emergency medical care for those who cannot pay extortionate fees. Bhise’s death has been used as a rallying cry by activists and community leaders who are pushing for reforms to prevent any patient from being denied life-saving treatment for financial reasons. As investigations unfold, the question now revolves around whether justice will be delivered for Tanisha Bhise and her loved ones, whose tragedy has sparked a wider debate regarding accountability and empathy in the practice of medicine.
