Pune Doctor Booked For Demanding Money At Symbiosis Hospital, Dismissed For Policy Violation
Pune Doctor Booked For Demanding Money At Symbiosis Hospital, Dismissed For Policy Violation
Pune, April 10, 2025 — A doctor from the Symbiosis University Hospital and Research Centre (SUHRC) in Lavale, Pune, has been booked for allegedly demanding money from the relatives of a patient in exchange for performing surgery, despite the hospital’s status as a charitable institution offering free treatment.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Police have registered a case against Dr. Pravin Wamanrao Lohote, 55, a resident of Chandan Nagar, under Sections 308(1) and 308(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following a complaint filed by Dilip Shivsharan, a 38-year-old resident of Uttam Nagar and relative of the patient.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), SUHRC operates as a charitable hospital and those under general ward are given free of cost treatment. However, Dr. Lohote is accused of demanding ₹20,000 from the patient’s family, allegedly warning that urgent surgery was needed and the patient’s life would be at risk if the operation wasn’t performed.
“The doctor refused to begin treatment unless the money was paid,” as per the report. No arrest has been made so far in the case. Pimpri Chinchwad Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Dr. Rajiv Yeravdekar, Provost of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Symbiosis International University, said, “SUHRC is committed to providing free treatment to all patients. In this instance, the doctor violated our core principles by charging the patient and has been summarily dismissed. The matter has also been reported to the National Medical Commission and the Maharashtra Medical Council.”
