3,856 absconding from JJ Hospital in 5 years

The Hindu : Mumbai: Monday, December 11, 2017.

JJ Hospital has had a total of 3,856 patients on the run for the past five years.

The data acquired by Chetan Kothari under the Right To Information (RTI) Act showed that 2,841 male and 1,015 female patients have absconded from the hospital between 2013 and May 2017.

Absconding patients are those who have left the hospital without any discharge formalities. These patients may have absconded midway while their treatment was on or after completing it. In all such cases, the hospital authorities file a complaint with the JJ Hospital police, who have the power to trace these patients. But the data revealed that no patient has been traced during that period.

A doctor said that reasons vary from patient to patient. Some may get restless to remain hospitalised after feeling slightly better, while some may get restless to cover the discharge formalities after finishing the treatment. Outstation patients may decide to leave halfway and continue treatment after getting home.