A 20-year-old poor migrant Kashmiri living in Jammu is a victim of government apathy. Threatened by a life-threatening disease, he is unable to meet the costly treatment and authorities are turning a blind eye to the pleas of the boys parents.
GOVERNMENT’S DELAY in disbursement of medical aid may likely cost the life of 20 year Vipul Koul. He belongs to a migrant Kashmiri Hindu family living in exile at Jammu. Vipul was suffering from ’pan hypopituritasim’, ’thyroid, ’mental illness,’ seizures, adrenal disturbance, growth hormone deficiency etc. His father is a class VI employee of the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) state and getting a salary Rs 8000 per month. It is thus impossible for him to meet the costly medical expenses of his child at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Vipul was unsuccessfully operated upon twice in 1992 and 1995 at Government Medical College, Jammu for ’undescending testicles’ at the age of four and seven years. After these operations, the doctors of GMC started making experiments till 1999. In August 1999, Vipul was shifted to AIIMS New Delhi due to continued critical conditions, treatment involved huge expenditure due to costly life-saving drugs, some of which had to be imported from abroad. J&K government gave Rs 14 lakhs as per the estimate issued by AIIMS authorities at New Delhi for the drugs, surgeries and other medical expenses. All this was done only after the intervention of then chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah in 2000. The money was spent on the treatment. After Vipul was again operated upon twice at AIIMS, New Delhi and the child was recovered partially (in 2002).
Later, AIIMS authorities advised further treatment involving surgery, which involved an expenditure of approximately Rs 20 lakhs. The surgery was advised to be executed in 2003, but could not be done due to lack of finance. Usha Koul, mother of Vipul approached government of J&K for further disbursement of medical aid, but the same has been denied to her till date despite all the efforts from her side. Koul said that the finance department of the J&K government raised many objections and the same were cleared by the Medical Board of GMC Jammu and AIIMS, New Delhi. But all this had no impact on the authorities and that request for medical assistance was turned down.
In January 2005, she approached state Human Right Commission with the complaint and issuance of directions in the matter. In January 2006, the State Human Rights Commission gave a judgment in her favour, considering the gravity of the case and for saving the life of an innocent child. The government was directed to release the requisite medical assistance to her and settle the entire pending medical bills. Again the finance department of the state ignored the judgment of the State Human Rights Commission and denied any medical assistance to him. The plea taken by the finance department was that the judgment of SHRC (J&K) was not binding upon them.
Koul then approached different agencies for redressal of her case with no results. Finally, she approached the president of India, who was kind enough to forward the case to Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Again the matter was consigned to dustbin in the Central Ministry, in the meantime, some media channels highlighted this human problem very prominently in their programmes broadcast at various times. This awakened the Ministry Official and they issued a letter in May 2007, to the state government officials and they refused to implement such directions from the central government of J&K turned down her request and closed the file.
In this connection, Koul raised some objections with different quarters about the nature of letter, in which the state government officials had refused to obey the instruction issued by Central Home Ministry due to Article 370. This prompted the state government officials to deny the issuance of any such letter saying that the letter was fake. It is surprising that the terminal disease certificates issued by AIIMS, New Delhi, the finance department of the state is clearly negating such things by saying that no such binding is applicable to them. This evidently shows that the government of the state is falsely taking the cover of Article 370.
It is pertinent to mention here that today is late but tomorrow the situation is likely to get out of control. The delay from the government may likely cost young boy’s life. This is a crime against humanity from the government of J&K and their response defies logic. Further the Supreme Court of India directed to the J&K State to settle the case, but could not be considered and has been sent to Medical Aid committee for consideration vide Finance department No. A/12 (73) XXI-1024 Dated 27-12-07. The medical Aid committee settled the case even after laps of seven months.
Mufti and Azad’s government have accorded sanction for medical treatment to various separatists leaders and employees from Valley suffering from similar type of diseases but they are delaying the disbursement of medical aid to a young boy belonging to a migrant Kashmiri family ....
Posted by: V ipul koul
Edited by : Ashok Koul
Later, AIIMS authorities advised further treatment involving surgery, which involved an expenditure of approximately Rs 20 lakhs. The surgery was advised to be executed in 2003, but could not be done due to lack of finance. Usha Koul, mother of Vipul approached government of J&K for further disbursement of medical aid, but the same has been denied to her till date despite all the efforts from her side. Koul said that the finance department of the J&K government raised many objections and the same were cleared by the Medical Board of GMC Jammu and AIIMS, New Delhi. But all this had no impact on the authorities and that request for medical assistance was turned down.
In January 2005, she approached state Human Right Commission with the complaint and issuance of directions in the matter. In January 2006, the State Human Rights Commission gave a judgment in her favour, considering the gravity of the case and for saving the life of an innocent child. The government was directed to release the requisite medical assistance to her and settle the entire pending medical bills. Again the finance department of the state ignored the judgment of the State Human Rights Commission and denied any medical assistance to him. The plea taken by the finance department was that the judgment of SHRC (J&K) was not binding upon them.
Koul then approached different agencies for redressal of her case with no results. Finally, she approached the president of India, who was kind enough to forward the case to Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Again the matter was consigned to dustbin in the Central Ministry, in the meantime, some media channels highlighted this human problem very prominently in their programmes broadcast at various times. This awakened the Ministry Official and they issued a letter in May 2007, to the state government officials and they refused to implement such directions from the central government of J&K turned down her request and closed the file.
In this connection, Koul raised some objections with different quarters about the nature of letter, in which the state government officials had refused to obey the instruction issued by Central Home Ministry due to Article 370. This prompted the state government officials to deny the issuance of any such letter saying that the letter was fake. It is surprising that the terminal disease certificates issued by AIIMS, New Delhi, the finance department of the state is clearly negating such things by saying that no such binding is applicable to them. This evidently shows that the government of the state is falsely taking the cover of Article 370.
It is pertinent to mention here that today is late but tomorrow the situation is likely to get out of control. The delay from the government may likely cost young boy’s life. This is a crime against humanity from the government of J&K and their response defies logic. Further the Supreme Court of India directed to the J&K State to settle the case, but could not be considered and has been sent to Medical Aid committee for consideration vide Finance department No. A/12 (73) XXI-1024 Dated 27-12-07. The medical Aid committee settled the case even after laps of seven months.
Mufti and Azad’s government have accorded sanction for medical treatment to various separatists leaders and employees from Valley suffering from similar type of diseases but they are delaying the disbursement of medical aid to a young boy belonging to a migrant Kashmiri family ....
Posted by: V ipul koul
Edited by : Ashok Koul
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