Chennai/ Port Blair, Nov. 13 (TOI): A liver transplant patient from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is being illegally detained at a corporate hospital in Chennai, which has been demanding around Rs 39 lakh more from him, his wife has told the Madras high court.

A division bench has issued notices to the Chennai city police and the Global Health City (GHC) on Tuesday.

The woman, Meenal Singh, said her husband Ajay Singh approached the hospital for consultation on June 18. He was diagnosed to have a serious liver ailment and was advised to undergo liver transplant at the earliest.

Meenal became a donor, and the couple was informed that the procedure would cost Rs 32 lakh. She said she had paid a total of Rs 33 lakh and the surgery was conducted.

Though doctors had lost hope on Ajay Singh, he recovered, she said.

The hospital management then sought an additional sum of Rs 39.11 lakh over and above what they had already paid. Unless the sum was paid, her husband would not be discharged, she was told.

Meenal Singh lodged a complaint with the Pallikkaranai police on September 27, claiming that she had been chased away and allowed to see her husband only through a window.

Since there was no action by the Pallikkaranai police, she filed a habeas corpus petition claiming that her husband was under unauthorised detention and that a ransom was being demanded from her.

The wrongful detention and the ransom demand was unhealthy and was violative of the health policy of the country, she said.

The bench has issued notices returnable by November 18.

Meanwhile in a Facebook post, Ajay Singh expressing his helplessness has posted, “... the management is asking money again from us saying that otherwise won’t treat us in future. I have become sick staying here... no air, ventilation, no sunlight ... all three things I have never seen for past 2 months”.

Such being a situation wherein an Andaman based patient is made to deal with a legal battle while he still struggles for his survival calls for immediate attention of the Andaman Authorities. There have been many occasions when the Andaman Administration has come to rescue Islanders in need. It can be hoped that the Hon’ble Lt. Governor would try to intervene in the matter and ensure that the patient is released safely.