Meera Devi, a 45-year-old homemaker, was detected with a 5.5cm tumour in her brain last month after she fell unconscious in her bathroom and began frothing from the mouth.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where she went for treatment, has given her a date of August 19, 2018, for the life-saving brain surgery. She has been advised to opt for private ward if she wants to be get the surgery done this year itself.
“She would die waiting for the live-saving surgery,” said Ram, Meera's husband, who is running from pillar to post arranging medical aid, even as their two sons have quit studies for want of funds.
The worsening tumour and weakening of body has forced Meera to move the High Court against AIIMS for what her family calls “unjust discrimination”.
Her plea for speedy medical treatment will come up for hearing on Friday before Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal, whom they approached with their complaint, said AIIMS asked them to deposit Rs. 26,000 and gave a date of August 19, 2018. When Meera approached a doctor in OPD on August 1 and requested for the surgery date to be preponed, she was advised to take treatment under the private ward where she will be operated upon in December but the cost would be Rs 1.25 lakh.
“Discrimination”
“This shows how AIIMS is discriminating between its patients and how those in private wards are getting speedy treatment while the poor patients are made to wait for years together. Even the date for MRI was given after a month despite doctors advising her to get the scan done immediately,” said Mr. Agarwal.
“AIIMS is discriminating between its patients based on their capacity to pay. Those who can pay will get speedy treatment. Isn't AIIMS supposed to provide same treatment to the poor too,” Mr. Agarwal asked.
On July 15, after Meera suffered the fall, her family rushed her to Safdarjung Hospital. When her symptoms worsened, she was taken to AIIMS where she was told to undergo an MRI immediately. With Rs. 5,000 borrowed from friends, Meera got the MRI done from a private lab. Reports revealed that she was suffering from Meningioma, a tumour of brain and spinal cord.
Meera is suffering from continuous headache, vertigo, severe weakness and is unable to stand, walk, eat or drink like a normal person. With each passing day, her pain is becoming more unbearable. Amid all this, Ram is awaiting justice from the court.
“Our lives have come to a stop because we are poor and we have got this disease.”
Meera Devi has been advised to opt for a private ward if she wants the surgery done this year itself
