A distressing incident at Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital has thrown a harsh light on the complexities of healthcare access for inter-state patients in India. The mother of a 12-year-old burn victim from Madhya Pradesh has alleged that her daughter was denied free treatment at the Rajasthan government-run facility because their family resides outside the state.
A Desperate Search for Treatment
The crisis began when the young girl, Anushka, suffered severe burns from an electric shock caused by a high-tension wire. Her family, consisting of daily wage labourers Pusha Ahirwal and her husband, rushed her to the prominent SMS Hospital in Jaipur on Sunday, seeking urgent medical care.
Initially, the girl received preliminary treatment free of cost. However, the situation took a difficult turn when the family was informed that further care in the burn ward would not be free. The hospital authorities asked them to arrange Rs 50,000 for the treatment or leave the premises, as stated by the mother in her account to the media on Monday.
The Reason: Ineligibility for State Health Scheme
The core reason cited for the demand for payment was the family's residential status. Since they are from Madhya Pradesh, they are not eligible for Rajasthan's Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya (MAA) scheme, which provides cashless treatment to eligible residents within the state. This left the out-of-state family in a precarious financial position.
Faced with this daunting demand, the Ahirwal family made a heartbreaking decision. They briefly left SMS Hospital, hoping to find more affordable care at a private facility in Jaipur. Unfortunately, their search led them to an even starker reality—the costs at the private hospital were prohibitively higher.
A Return to the Government Hospital Without Funds
With no viable alternative, the family returned to SMS Hospital approximately two hours later. They managed to get Anushka readmitted, even though they had failed to arrange the required Rs 50,000. Pusha Ahirwal expressed her anguish and confusion, questioning why her daughter was being treated differently. "Since it is a govt hospital where others are getting free treatment, why am I being asked to pay for the same?" she asked.
The family's plight is compounded by their financial situation. As labourers with three children—one older and one younger than Anushka—arranging such a significant sum is an immense challenge. This incident underscores a critical gap in the portability of healthcare benefits across state lines, leaving vulnerable families in medical emergencies to navigate a bureaucratic and financial maze.
