NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the reported delay of nearly six years in the cardiac surgery of a boy at AIIMS, New Delhi

Press release

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi: 19th June, 2024

NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the reported delay of nearly six years in the cardiac surgery of a boy at AIIMS, New Delhi

Issues notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Director, AIIMS seeking report

The National Human Rights Commission, (NHRC) India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report, carried on 13.06.2024 that a 6-year-old boy from Bihar’s Begusarai has been waiting for cardiac issue surgery since 2019 when he was three months old. Doctors at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi have only been providing dates for the surgery on every visit by his family.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a very serious issue of violation of human rights. The right to health and medical care is a basic human right. The AIIMS is one of the prestigious and premier public-funded healthcare institution where a large number of people visit daily from across the country in the hope of getting their loved ones treated for their ailments by the best doctors of the nation.

The Commission has noted that it is aware of the constraints faced by the public hospitals across the country but it is still painful to know that the young boy from Bihar has been waiting for the cardiac surgery, for about the last six years despite his poor health condition. This is indeed a matter of deep concern.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi calling for a detailed report in the matter within one week including present health status of the young boy and scheduled date of his cardiac surgery reportedly required and advised by the AIIMS doctors.

As mentioned in the news report, the father of the boy earns a modest monthly income of Rs 8,000 and faces significant financial strain due to medical expenses as each visit to Delhi costs him between Rs 13,000 and Rs 15,000 for transportation and accommodation. The child cannot walk more than 15 steps without experiencing breathlessness; additionally, his physical development has been hindered. Reportedly, the reasons provided by AIIMS have varied, ranging from unavailability of beds to the doctor’s absence. The Institute has also constituted a committee to verify the allegations.

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