While issuing a notice to AIIMS on a petition filed by brain tumour patient Meera Devi, who was given a date two years from now for surgery, the High Court on Friday asked if there could be some guidelines to avoid such incidents. A bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva sought a response from AIIMS by August 24.
Need guidelines
The court asked if some guidelines could be put in place to ensure that those in need of immediate treatment do not end up waiting and are given speedy treatment, regardless of paying capacity.
45-year-old Meera Devi has a 5.5cm tumour in her brain and is living in constant pain. The tumour was discovered in July.
Ms. Devi was forced to move the HC after doctors at AIIMS gave her a date of August 19, 2018 for the life-saving surgery.
As her pain advanced and she could no longer bear the constant headache, vertigo and inability to eat, drink or even sleep, Ms. Devi again approached AIIMS.
She requested that she be operated upon as early as possible as the pain was becoming increasingly unbearable.
The doctors, however, advised her to go for a private ward and shell out Rs, 1.25 lakh if she wanted to undergo surgery in December this year.
Her husband, Ram, earns Rs. 9,000 per month and their two children have given up academic pursuits as he says, “whatever money is there is now to be diverted towards Meera's treatment or just keeping her alive, till the time she is operated upon”.
Their advocate Ashok Agarwal said: “Rather then making her wait, they should refer her to another government hospital where she can get free treatment and that too on time. There should be a centralised system where every government hospital is in the loop and if there are no beds in one hospital, that hospital should know about the scene in other institutions and refer the patient there.”
