HC orders AIIMS to treat serious patient deprived of health scheme

New Delhi: Observing seriousness of a case of a patient who is suffering from a deadly disease named 'Severe Aplastic Anemia', the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to go ahead with the treatment of the minor patient. 

The bench headed by Justice Naveen Chawla also directed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to reimburse the cost of treatment.  

Earlier, CitySpidey had published a news where many patients had pointed out flaws in Ayushman Bharat Scheme. It was pointed out that the BPL (below poverty line) patients were deprived of getting the benefits of two major health policies launched by the government of India because of some limitations.

Now, the bench has issued notices to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and AIIMS and directed them to submit the response within two weeks.

Gaurav Kumar Bansal, the counsel for eleven-year-old petitioner named Mohd Samir submitted before the court that his client is suffering from a deadly disease and the same can be treated by bone marrow transplantation.

Bansal further informed the court that Rashtriya Aarogya Nidhi, a health scheme of GOI, provides financial assistance to BPL patients who are suffering from life threatening diseases. However, after the launch of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Rashtriya Aarogya Nidhi stopped providing benefits to such persons without taking cognizance of the fact that life threatening diseases which involve transplantation treatments are not covered under the Aayushman Bharat Scheme.

Bansal submitted that due to said fallacy, many patients, who were suffering from diseases involving transplantation treatment, died as they failed to take benefit from either of the schemes.

Observing the seriousness of the issue, the High Court observed that they cannot wait for responses when there is threat to life. It issued an interim order to direct treatment of the patient.