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The Bombay High Court recently directed the state prison authority to inform it whether any government hospital in Mumbai has a pacemaker implantation facility for the treatment of HDIL promoter Rakesh Wadhawan who has been arrested on charges of money laundering in the multi-crore Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank fraud case.

The court suggested that if such facility is not available at government hospitals, Wadhawan can opt for the procedure to be carried out at a private hospital of his choice and expenses for the same have to be borne by him. Justice Bharati H Dangre passed the order on Friday while hearing a bail plea filed by Wadhawan seeking his release on health grounds considering his advanced age and ailments.

After perusing Wadhawan’s medical reports, the bench noted, “The medical reports of the patient reflect that he requires immediate medical treatment of acute nature… The question then arises is when and where it will have to be medically ascertained whether the applicant is fit for this implantation or he will have to wait and another question that arises is where the procedure can be carried out.”

The ED and the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police have named Housing Development Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) promoter Wadhawan as an accused in the PMC Bank case.

On September 17, the court had permitted specialists from private hospitals to visit the BMC-run KEM Hospital in Mumbai and examine Wadhawan.

Representing the state, Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde on Friday submitted a ‘current clinical status’ report dated September 22, signed by doctors of KEM Hospital, which said Wadhawan suffers from chronic kidney disease.

It said Wadhawan had symptomatic Tachy-Brady Syndrome (heart rate alternating between high and low) and in view of the fluctuation in heart rate, he is advised by the cardiologist to go for dual chamber pacemaker implantation, which would involve heart angiography.

“The signatories to the report are also candid, when they state that the facility for implantation of dual chamber pacemaker is not available at KEM Hospital currently,” the bench noted.

For Wadhawan, senior advocate Aabad Ponda placed on record a report from a Consultant Cardiologist, who was permitted to visit the patient by the Dean of KEM Hospital as per the earlier high court order. “The said consultant concurred with the opinion of KEM Hospital advising permanent pacemaker implantation and, in addition, opined that it would be helpful for patient’s recovery if multidisciplinary team approach is practiced,” the court noted. The high court will hear the plea again on September 28.

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The IndianExpress

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