Kargil Widow Dies After Hospital Denies Treatment Without Aadhaar

The woman was reportedly the wife of a Kargil martyr.

Image for representative purposes. 

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

In a shocking development from Haryana's Sonipat, a woman died after reportedly being denied treatment for not having an Aadhaar card.

The woman, Shakuntala – the wife of a Kargil martyr – was accompanied by her son to a private hospital on Thursday, 28 December, for treatment.

According to Hindi daily Jagran, the hospital authorities insisted that the Aadhaar card of the patient be submitted for her to get admitted.

The daily further reported that the hospital authorities did not relent despite the patient's son Pawan Kumar showing the copy of the Aadhaar card, including the number, on his mobile phone.

Speaking to ANI:

I brought my mother in a serious condition to the hospital. They asked me to get the Aadhaar card, but I didn’t have it then so I showed them a copy in my phone. I said that I will get Aadhaar in an hour or so, meanwhile begin with the treatment but the hospital refused to do so.

The hospital even called the police when the victim's son started protesting and apparently raising a hue and cry.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities categorically refuted all the charges levelled on them by the victim's son.

According to Dr Divya Saxena, the patient was taken away from the emergency ward by her kin on their own (they reportedly took her to another hospital, but she died on the way).

She asserted that the hospital has to adhere to certain rules and regulations and take care of the paperwork.

Rules specify that we either take the Aadhaar card or the referral to facilitate the patient’s admission, which is what we did. Dr Divya Saxena

Dr Divya Saxena

However, she added that if a patient is in a critical condition, then he/she is admitted immediately and it is ensured that proper treatment is given.

Echoing Saxena’s claims, another doctor from the hospital told ANI:

We never denied them treatment. Please note that he never got the patient to the hospital. We have never stopped any treatment due to Aadhaar card ever. It is mandatory, not for treatment, but for documentation process: 

The doctors further alleged that Kumar never brought his mother inside the premises for treatment, but left her in the car outside the hospital. They also alleged that Kumar turned belligerent with the hospital staff when they asked him to show the Aadhaar card.

VN Thapar, the father of another Kargil martyr Vijayant Thapar was shocked at the news of the martyr’s wife’s death.

Shocked at the disgusting news. We’ve become so indifferent to human life! These are the kind of things that hit morale of armed forces.

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