JANAKPURDHAM, July 24: A father's emotional video is going viral on social media. Over 1.2 million people had watched the video on Thursday, which was posted by Shambhu Sah of Sonigama, Hansapur Municipality–6 in Dhanusha. In the video, Shambhu is seen crying over his son Ayush's dead body placed inside an ambulance, accusing Janakpur's Neuro Hospital of taking both his money and his son’s life. He claims the hospital exploited him financially while there was money and then referred his son elsewhere when it ran out. He pleads with others not to visit the same hospital.
Shambhu’s 16-year-old son Ayush met with a motorcycle accident on January 22. He was taken to Neuro Hospital in Janakpur for treatment. The hospital treated him for two months, but his condition worsened instead of improving. By then, Shambhu had already paid Rs 800,000 to the hospital. When he refused to pay more due to lack of progress, the hospital allegedly forced him to sign checks and promissory notes before referring his son to another hospital.
Ayush was treated for another two months at the Trauma Center in Kathmandu. He returned home on June 5 and died on July 18. According to Shambhu, the doctors at Trauma Center said the case had already been mishandled earlier, making it difficult to save him.
“The doctors said the brain surgery had mistakes, and if he had arrived earlier, he could’ve been saved,” Shambhu recalled. He had already sold all his property for the treatment and could not afford to go to another hospital.
Ayush’s mother, Rinku Devi Sah, also accused the hospital of treating her son with ill intention. Although they had already paid Rs 800,000 in cash, she said the hospital took Rs 190,000 worth of checks for medicine, another Rs 526,000 check, and still forced them to sign a promissory note for Rs 716,000.
Shambhu is not the only one making such claims. Chandeshwar Kapar from Birta, Shahidnagar Municipality–5, Dhanusha, also blamed the same hospital for his 22-year-old son Jeevan’s death after two months of treatment. He said he had sold four katthas of land and raised donations from the village to pay the hospital Rs 800,000, but they couldn’t save his son. He accused the hospital of drugging his son repeatedly just to extract more money.
Another victim is the family of Ranjit Kumar Ram from Aurahi Municipality–4, Mahottari. Ranjit’s wife, Sangita Kumari Ram, said she paid Rs 1.59 million for one month of treatment at Neuro Hospital. She said her husband was getting better after seven days, even talking to family via video call, but the hospital later gave him anesthesia and resumed treatment, which she believes was motivated by money. She said a doctor in Kathmandu also confirmed that medical negligence at Neuro Hospital had caused her husband’s death.
These cases — of Ayush, Jeevan, and Ranjit — are just a few examples. Many such incidents remain unreported due to grief or are suppressed by the hospital itself.
After these cases came to light in the media, the hospital held a press conference last Tuesday and denied all accusations. “None of the patients died at our hospital,” said Dr Vijay Raut. “They died after being taken elsewhere. We’ve explained everything to the media. If you still have doubts, visit the victim's families with a doctor instead of harassing us on phone,” he added.
The hospital administration claimed that Shambhu Sah did not pay Rs 2–2.2 million as alleged. They said he only paid Rs 300,000 in cash and issued a check for Rs 500,000.
Dr Raut, a neurosurgeon at the hospital, claimed they are providing the best service. “We have the best team and best equipment,” he said, “We offer the same treatment as in America.”