HC asks AIIMS to treat minor, not to wait for formalities

The Delhi High Court has directed AIIMS to provide immediate treatment to a 13-year-old boy suffering from spinal tuberculosis that can cause curvature of the backbone.
Justice Vibhu Bakhru asked All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) not to delay the poor child's surgery by waiting for completion of formalities to get financial assistance from Delhi Arogya Nidhi/Kosh, to bear his treatment cost.
"In view of the statement that the patient requires an urgent surgery and fulfils the eligibility criteria for obtaining financial assistance, AIIMS is directed to furnish estimate certificate indicating the expenditure to be incurred without insisting on the production of income and birth certificates.

"It is also directed that if the attending doctors are of the opinion that a surgery is required to be urgently done, they shall forthwith do so without awaiting completion of formalities in regard to the petitioner seeking financial assistance," the judge said.
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by the boy's father Rajendra Kumar, an Uttar Pradesh resident, seeking directions to AIIMS to fill up the estimate certificate for his son, who was suffering from Pott's Spine, so that the he can get financial assistance from Delhi Arogya Nidhi/Kosh.
The plea, filed through advocate Ashok Agarwal, sought that AIIMS be directed to not ask for production of income certificate and birth certificate of the petitioner as he does not have these.

While granting relief to Kumar and his son Ankit, the court said, "The petitioner is a 13-year-old minor suffering from Pott's Spine and requires an urgent surgery. His counsel submits that his family income is less than Rs 1 lakh a year and he possesses a National Food Security Card.
"The counsel for the petitioner has fairly submitted that the petitioner does not possess birth certificate and income certificate which have been demanded by AIIMS for providing the estimate certificate."
AIIMS had submitted that the documents required would have to be provided for availing the financial assistance, after which the counsel for the patient told the court that all necessary formalities shall be completed within eight weeks from December 24.