AIIMS Delhi Responds To Man's Viral Post For Father's Urgent Heart Treatment

Healthcare is one of the largest growing industries in India yet it is not affordable to many people across the country. This was recently shared by a user on X, formerly Twitter, where he detailed the lack of urgency in the medical care system, despite a person undergoing a heart disease. Pallav Singh took to the microblogging platform and said that his father is undergoing treatment at AIIMS Delhi. "My father will die, soon or very soon. Yes, I know what I am saying. I am writing this while standing in a queue at AIIMS Delhi. I am from the Indian middle class which happens to constitute most of the Indian population and I have finally received the bill which kept me a step away from being poor. A hospital Bill.  I don't think I will be able to save my father," he said. 

He added that his father had a heart attack in September in their hometown Deoria in Uttar Pradesh. Later, he was "diagnosed with blockage in 3 arteries and heart functioning only 20%". The family brought him to Delhi in November and had to wait in a queue for 24 hours to get an appointment. A few days later, a senior doctor who is also a Padma Awardee, according to the user, gave his father medicines and asked them to come later. "Yes, later, and no date! We get back. After a while, we realise disease is very serious and needed urgent surgery. Then why did not Dr refer him to a surgeon? No idea. Roamed in private hospitals for 45 days and realised getting surgery done privately will lead us to sell all what we have, if not house," he added. 

After two weeks, the doctor stated that the patient would require surgery. "Got appointment at 2 PM, Dr comes at 6 PM. Waiting for 4 hours with a seriously ill heart patient on an iron chair in winter! Dr asks to leave documents and come next day after so that he gets enough time to review. Accepted. Visiting next day after, Friday it is, waiting for 5 hours till 7. Informed that Dr will not come today, come on Monday. Review is not ready. Accepted. No other option. What next? Waiting here and Monday it is. No idea if he'll be here," he said. 

Mr Singh stated that he was saddened to see the situation of the healthcare system after going back and forth to get his father treated. "My father, a diabetic patient on insulin, aged 52 with heart function at 20%, will need to wait for at least 13 months to get his surgery done.  Yes 13 months. And not in free, but by paying at least a lakh rupees. To mention next, my mother is a terminally ill patient, a subject of reasearch in the same AIIMS for 2 years now.  The problem with her? Neurological disorder. Review after a while in which we run from counter to counter to get tests done!" he added. 

"If I happened to be a minister, the same hospital would run behind me and my surgery would have got done till now. But I happen to be the middle class one, the voter, who is the king during elections, and no one after that. Literally, no one," he stated. Mr Singh added that his father had to endure a similar experience when his grandparents fell sick. "Now I'll serve my parents until they die, standing in queues in hospitals, and then my children, if I am fortunate enough to exist illness-free and marry, will serve me until I die," he noted. 

Mr Singh's post gained a lot of attention on social media and a lot of people offered him help and support. A doctor even asked him to come to Mumbai where they could perform the required surgery within two to three days. 

AIIMS Delhi took note of Mr Singh's experience and reached out to him for help. "AIIMS New Delhi has come to know about the patient who had registered in the Cardiology opd had some issues while waiting for evaluation. We called the patient/son @pallavserene on the phone number obtained from hospital records. We came to know that the patient is now in his village in Deoria, UP and is comfortable at home," they said on X. 

Further, they said that the patient will come to the hospital for treatment. "He will be coming to AIIMS for further treatment whenever his father feels discomfort and currently doesn't need any help. We have offered technical support. Immediately after the tweet, we gave them our helpline number on direct message on Twitter (X)."