New Delhi: It’s a story of government apathy that has played out for more than 10 years. An alleged lapse on the part of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi in 2007 led to a five-year-old Faizan getting HIV infected blood during a treatment for anaemia.
Ahmed and the 16-year-old Faizan, who now is suffering from full blown AIDS, are fighting a battle which they are unlikely to win. "I have no strength left to fight," says a dejected Ahmed.
In 2007 Delhi High Court had held Safdarjung Hospital liable for injecting Faizan with a HIV+ blood and ordered the hospital to bear his medical expenses.
The Central Government was asked to monitor Faizan’s situation and step in if Safdarjung Hospital failed to provide him with medical help," says Ahmed’s laywer Sughriva Dubey.
Almost a decade later Ahmed and Faizan are struggling for existence, face more legal battles and hope for justice.
"He does not have much time left. His is suffering from AIDS," Ahmed says matter of fact and then narrates the story of his family’s 10-year long struggle.
A tailor by profession, Ahmed had put together his meagre resources to travel to Delhi in 2005 after Faizan was diagnosed with acute anaemia. Doctors had promised a good life for Faizan, after treatment at the "bada hospitals (big hospitals)" of Delhi.
He was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital and given blood transfusion multiple times between July 31 and August 20, 2005.
Ahmed claims Faizan was HIV free then as his blood reports from Garhwa and Safardjung proves. “His blood tests took place within one hour of admission in Safadrjung Hospital. He was fine then," Naseem argues.
In 2006 Safdarjung discharged Faizan and blood tests at the time of discharge showed him to be HIV positive.
A legal battle ensured an interim order from Delhi High Court but neither Safadrjung Hospital nor the Centre paid any compensation, accoridng to Ahmed.
Feeding a family of five and battling his son's deadly disease was not easy for him.
Faizan is ostracised in his school and neighbourhood back in Garhwa. In spite of his illness the 16-year-old sells petrol on the Garhwa-Ranchi highway to earn a few extra rupees for his family.
“Children have named him AIDS. Can you imagine what a father feels when he hears this," Naseem laments. Faizan does not really understand the consequence of his disease but has stopped going to school for fear of being ostracised.
"Children tease me. They say I will never get married," Faizan innocently says.
Safarjung Hospital has challenged the Delhi HC indictment which means Naseem has to travel to Delhi to attend court proceedings every three months. He also travels to Ranchi, 200 kilometre from his village to get the free tablet for AIDS victims that Government of India provides.
Buying the medicine at the local chemist would cost him Rs 2,000 every month which he can’t afford.
Ahmed knows his son will not live for long but wants accountability fixed so that another Faizan is not born at the country’s premier hospitals.
Faizan’s case timeline:
2002: Faizan, from Garwah, Jharkhand, was being treated at a Ranchi hospital for anaemia
July 31, 2005: The nine-year-old was referred to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital after he was diagnosed with an acute case of anaemia
July 31 and August 20, 2005: His blood transfusion took place between July 31 and August 20, 2005. He was admitted to the hospital several times.
2006: Faizan was discharged and was diagnosed as HIV positive
2007: Faizan’s father, Naseem Ahmed filed a petition in the Delhi HC seeking direction to the government for free treatment and to meet other expenses
March 2007: The Delhi HC ruled that the cost of Faizan’s treatment will now be borne by Safdarjung Hospital. The court also ordered that if Safdarjang is unable, then the Centre will have to pay for the treatment
Comments
0 comment