Rajasthan: Waiting for surgery for 13 years, Tanvi dies in Delhi AIIMS

"Days, months, years passed but my daughter's operation could not be done. My daughter died in front of me at 3.30 pm on 31st August."

15-year-old Tanvi died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi with a hole in her heart. Her parents allege that AIIMS did not perform their daughter's surgery even in 13 years, they were given dates after dates.

He alleges that his daughter was undergoing treatment at AIIMS since 2012, several times he got assurance from the hospital to get the surgery done, once he even deposited the money and then the surgery was postponed.

AIIMS, Delhi issued a statement on September 2 saying that based on media reports, taking the matter seriously, an investigation committee has been formed.

Also, AIIMS said that "Patient Tanvi was subjected to several intensive tests and it was concluded that surgery was not possible, hence medical management and regular follow-up were advised."

Tanvi's father Mukesh Kumar spoke to BBC News Hindi.

He claimed, "AIIMS people were also saying yes to the operation, so we trusted them."

When asked whether efforts were made for the daughter's treatment anywhere other than AIIMS? He said, "In 2013, we got Tanvi examined at a private hospital in Delhi. But, they told us three operations and a lot of expenses. So we relied on AIIMS."

He says that being troubled by all this, he had sent his first complaint to the Prime Minister's Office in 2016 requesting for surgery. And also mailed to Union Medical Minister JP Nadda but got disappointment from everywhere.

Mukesh has said that he will soon file a case against AIIMS.

Tanvi was undergoing treatment at AIIMS since she was two years old.

Tanvi's family is a resident of Gumanpura area of Kota in Rajasthan. Father Mukesh Kumar Pariyani and mother Bhavika Pariyani were getting their daughter treated at AIIMS, Delhi.

Mukesh is a salesman in a clothing store, wife Bhavika is a housewife. They have two children in which Tanvi was younger. His elder son is doing B.Tech from a college in Jaipur.

Bhavika is crying continuously remembering her daughter Tanvi.

Right behind the room in her house where Tanvi's mother was talking to us, is Tanvi's study table, on the wall opposite to which was written, "I can and I will".

Mukesh tells that Tanvi was about two years old when her health deteriorated. Meanwhile, on August 15, 2012, an investigation conducted in Kota revealed that the girl had a hole in her heart.

She says that for better treatment of her daughter, the local doctor advised her to go to AIIMS.

He said, "I took my daughter to Delhi AIIMS for the first time in 2012. Then the treatment continued. In 2013, tests were done and then in 2014, surgery was suggested and hence we deposited the money, the rest of the test process also took place. But then it was postponed."

Mukesh also showed the slip of depositing Rs. 1.25 lakh in AIIMS.

Mukesh claims, "Then in the year 2015, the date for the operation was given on 2nd September. When I took my daughter for the operation, they postponed the operation. Then on 16th December, Tanvi was admitted and then the operation was postponed."

He shows many documents, including papers of treatment at AIIMS Delhi from 2012 till now, a receipt of Rs 1.25 lakh deposited once in 2013 in the name of an operation, and says, "Many complaints were made but no hearing was taken anywhere."

He had also met Kota MP and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and requested to get his daughter's heart surgery done at AIIMS Delhi as soon as possible.

He also claims that Om Birla's PA had called AIIMS and asked for surgery. But still the operation was not done.

We asked Dr. Sachin Talwar of AIIMS for his side regarding these allegations through email, to which no reply was received.

Mukesh says that since then he was continuously given dates till this year (2026), but the daughter's operation was not done.

Tanvi's mother says that even after being admitted to the hospital, her daughter's condition was fine but then suddenly this (Tanvi's death) happened.

However, in the statement issued by AIIMS, the cause of Tanvi's death was said to be cardiac arrest after hypoxic spell. That means the heart rate stopped after severe lack of oxygen in the body.

She says, "I had gone there with the hope that there would be good doctors there, but look what happened to us. We were disappointed."

Mukesh says that after the death of his daughter, I had complained to the police on number 112.

He says, "At that time, only my wife and I were in the hospital. We were scared and had to take the body of our daughter, so we got the body done after getting the postmortem done. I have no trust in AIIMS Delhi."

He says that he did not get time to file an FIR but now he will file an FIR.

Mukesh and his wife say, "Our daughter cannot come back now. But, the culprits should be punished. Our daughter has not died but has been murdered, we will get justice only if the culprits are punished."

Regarding AIIMS's announcement of forming a committee for investigation, Mukesh says that forming a committee does not achieve anything, it is only a means of whitewashing.

He says that if a high-level impartial investigation is conducted, a lot will come to light.

What has Delhi AIIMS said?

According to the statement issued by AIIMS, "Tanvi was admitted to AIIMS on August 24 due to deteriorating health, this time the possibility of heart-lung transplant was being evaluated. And around 3 am on the intervening night of August 31 and September 1, her condition became critical. She was declared dead at five in the morning on September 1."

It was told in the statement that Tanvi suddenly started feeling very tired and weak at night. After this, he developed severe cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen in the body) and the oxygen saturation dropped to about 48 percent.

Despite oxygen support, a severe hypoxic spell persisted, resulting in cardiac arrest.

The statement said that despite immediate and continuous resuscitation efforts, the child's condition remained extremely critical and he was declared dead at 5 am.

AIIMS has also said that, "Tanvi was first brought to the Cardiology OPD of AIIMS for treatment on October 10, 2012."

On examination, pulmonary atresia was found with VSD (hole in the heart).

In 2013, Tanvi underwent a detailed evaluation of her chances of undergoing heart surgery, which included tests such as CT angiography and cardiac catheterization.

According to AIIMS, "Given the complex structure of Tanvi's heart and the severity of the disease, subsequent evaluation in 2017 concluded that corrective surgery was not possible at that time."