THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been alleged that the authorities of the District Hospital at Nedumangad extracted money from a bedridden patient after he used his personal table fan due to the lack of facilities in the hospital. The authorities charged Rs 100 from Vellanad native Praveen for using the table fan for two days after the fan in the ward stopped working. They also gave him a receipt for this. The authorities are claiming that they only charged electricity rent from the patient.

It is reported that only eight of the 12 fans are working in the surgery ward where Pradeep is undergoing treatment. According to Pradeep, although he complained that the fans were not working during the unbearable heat, the authorities told him to bring a fan from home. However, the hospital authorities went on to charge him Rs 50 per day as electricity rent after he used his personal table fan.

With the incident becoming news, the superintendent of the hospital came out with an explanation. The superintendent informed that the Hospital Development Committee used to charge money for operating electrical equipment brought from outside.