In a tragic incident, an infant girl died at KEM Hospital in Pune on Sunday after a reputed hospital refused to admit the girl over the payment issue with demonetized currency notes.

According to the officials, the girl had the heart problem and doctors advised to admit the girl to Ruby Hall Clinic. But the hospital refused to do so. as the girl's family was paying the hospital fee in old notes.

However, the hospital denied the claim made by the girl relatives.

A close relative of Amrapali and Gaurab Kunte, parents of the deceased girl, said: "the doctors had advised them to admit her in Ruby Hall Clinic for heart surgery. However, when we went to Ruby on Saturday morning, the billing department gave us the quotation of Rs 3.5 lakh and told us to deposit the same before any treatment."

"We then offered to make Rs 1 lakh payment in demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000. However, the hospital administration refused to accept these notes," claimed Sudhakar Gawandgave.

He said, "her parents even offered to pay part payment through cheque and cards."

"When they (Ruby Clinic) turned down the demonetized bills, we offered them that we would pay Rs 1 lakh through current cheque and Rs 30,000 through card payment and requested them to allow the remaining payment through another cheque, which needs to be deposited in the bank on Monday," Gawandgave said.

He also alleged that the hospital administration turned down their offer and alternatively demanded full payment.

"They made us run from pillar to post to admit the girl. Had she been admitted to Ruby Hall Hospital, the golden hours would not have been wasted.

"The infant girl, who was in ICU at KEM, had to put on ventilator support and died early Sunday morning," Gawandgave said.

When contacted, Dr Sanjay Pathare, Director, Medical Services, at Ruby Hall Clinic, refuted as "baseless and false" the claims made by the relatives.

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BY M. DIVYA SRI