Pune: Amid mounting criticism over the death of Tanisha Bhise during childbirth, the administration of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital has admitted that a deposit was indeed demanded from the Bhise family. During a press conference today, Dr. Dhananjay Kelkar, Dean of the hospital, confirmed that the amount was written on the admission form by gynecologist Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas, despite the hospital not having such a standard procedure.

Tanisha Bhise, wife of BJP MLC Amit Gorakhe’s personal assistant Sushant Bhise, died shortly after delivering twin daughters. Her family claimed that they were asked to pay a ₹10 lakh deposit at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. Unable to arrange the amount, they were forced to seek treatment elsewhere. Tanisha’s health deteriorated during the transfer, and she later passed away at another facility.

When asked by reporters if doctors can ask for such deposits, Dr. Kelkar replied, “Doctors at our hospital do not usually demand deposits. That’s not part of our policy. Estimates are issued to patients, but writing a deposit amount is not our norm. However, on that day, for reasons unknown—perhaps under stress—Dr. Ghaisas wrote ₹10 lakh inside a box on the form. This is true.”

Dr. Kelkar clarified that Dr. Ghaisas was not a full-time employee but an honorary consultant associated with the hospital for over 10 years. He has since resigned. “He was under tremendous social pressure—facing threats, harsh criticism on social media, and immense stress. He feared this would affect his ability to treat patients and felt stepping down was the right thing to do,” Kelkar added.

Dr. Kelkar also revealed that the hospital has now discontinued its policy of asking for deposits ranging from ₹5 to ₹10 lakh, which was never applicable to economically weaker patients. “That policy was scrapped a few days ago,” he said.

Additionally, he acknowledged that hospital staff would undergo training to improve sensitivity and patient care. “Heavy workloads can sometimes impact the empathy needed. We’ve taken steps to fix that,” he noted.

Responding to allegations that Tanisha did not receive treatment for over five hours despite heavy bleeding, Dr. Kelkar stated that all related reports had been submitted to the government and that no personal medical details of the patient were shared with the media.

He concluded the press conference abruptly without answering many of the media’s follow-up questions, further fueling public concern and outrage over the incident.