Ex-Guyana First Lady detained by Chennai hospital for non-payment of dues

Chennai, June 27 (ANI): At least 13 heart patients, including Guyana's former First Lady, Mrs. Kieran Singh and ten children have been detained by the Frontier Lifeline Hospital here for alleged non-payment of bills.

Singh, who runs a popular NGO called Kids First Fund, had brought the ten children, including three infants and two adults for heart surgeries to India last week.

The hospital detained them claiming they had to clear a medical bill of 90,000 dollars.

The group was to fly back to Guyana on Friday night, but missed their flight. There were dramatic scenes as the children scribbled 'HELP' on papers and flashed it at media people waiting outside.

Frontier Lifeline claims that they had trouble recovering money from Singh in past instances and this time they had made it clear that they need the money before she left India. Singh on the other hand claims that she had an agreement with the hospital that they will perform the surgeries and she will collect the money on her return back to Guyana.

With the situation getting out of control, the Chennai Police was called in to resolve the matter. The hospital said Singh had hatched a plan carefully to escape, while Singh strongly refuted these allegations

Dr K M Cherian, considered to be a pioneer in heart surgeries, owns the Frontier Lifeline Hospital.

Dr. Cherian performed the first coronary artery bypass surgery in India in 1975. He also performed the country's second heart transplant, first infant cardiac surgery and the first heart and lung transplant. (ANI)