‘Patients’ lives put at risk’: Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains slams Mohali hospital for ‘negligence’

Bains said he personally saw a Himachal Pradesh patient—an elderly woman from Hamirpur—left inside an ambulance for 20–25 minutes, even though the hospital’s emergency ward was completely empty.

“The management flatly refused to admit her, citing paperwork and other excuses, while another patient wandered helplessly outside,” the minister wrote. “I had to step in myself to get both patients admitted and treatment started immediately.”

Minister’s relative also made to wait

Bains revealed he was initially at the hospital to help admit the brother-in-law of a village sarpanch. “Despite having his card ready, they kept him waiting in the ambulance, saying ICU beds were being arranged. Later, they claimed no beds were available,” he said.

Angered, the minister personally inspected the emergency ward, only to find beds vacant, triggering a heated confrontation with the hospital staff.

“It was painful to see patients’ lives put at risk for the sake of money,” Bains remarked. “I respect doctors as the embodiment of God, but watching patients suffer while management chases profit is intolerable. The government will not tolerate such incidents—patients must come before files.”

Relatives of the affected patients echoed the outrage. “We travel from faraway places, and this kind of negligence can cost lives,” one of them said, urging strict action.

When approached for a response, a Max Hospital spokesperson said, “The 60-year-old patient, who had been admitted to our hospital multiple times for treatment, was last discharged on September 22. Today, he returned to our emergency department with further complications requiring ICU care. At that time, no ICU bed was available, and this was duly communicated to the patient and family. The patient was subsequently admitted to the CCU once a bed became available.”

Troubled history of complaints

This is not the first time Max Hospital, Mohali, has faced serious allegations. Some of the other instances are noted below.

2014: The Mohali Chief Judicial Magistrate summoned the hospital’s CEO and a doctor on charges of medical negligence, conspiracy, and fraud.

2017: The Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordered the hospital to pay Rs 32.94 lakh in compensation to a patient’s wife—a ruling later upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2024.

The Max Healthcare chain has also faced earlier accusations of negligence in cases involving newborns, prompting calls for licence cancellation and stricter oversight.

Established in 2011 under a public–private partnership (PPP) with the Punjab government, the Mohali facility has repeatedly drawn complaints about patient care.

Bains has urged immediate corrective action, warning that private hospitals “must prioritise treatment over paperwork or face consequences”.

The remarks have sparked outrage, with many on social media supporting Bains’s stand and demanding accountability from the hospital.