NHRC notice to health ministry, AIIMS-Delhi over long delay in cardiac issue-related surgery of a boy

New Delhi: The NHRC has issued notices to the Union Health Ministry and the AIIMS-Delhi chief over reports alleging that a six-year-old boy from Bihar has been waiting for a cardiac issue-related surgery since 2019 when he was just three months old, officials said on Wednesday.

Reportedly, the reasons provided by the AIIMS here have varied, "ranging from unavailability of beds to the doctor's absence". The institute has also constituted a committee to verify the allegations, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.

The rights panel said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report, carried on June 13, that a six-year-old boy from Begusarai has been waiting for a cardiac issue-relate 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 statement said.

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 institutions 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 statement said.

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

The NHRC has issued notices to notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the director of AIIMS-Delhi, seeking a detailed report within one week, including the present health status of the boy and a scheduled date of his cardiac surgery reportedly required and advised by the AIIMS's doctors, the statement said.

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, the statement said.