Man moves court for free cure at AIIMS

New Delhi: A man suffering from an autoimmune disease has moved the Delhi high court seeking directions to All India Institute of Medical Sciences ( AIIMS) to provide him free treatment, saying he cannot afford the same. Thirty eightyear- old Sarvesh, who has been suffering from Reiter’s disease since 2012, has moved the court as he has been left crippled and immobile because of the ailment and urgently requires a hip and knee replacement surgery. Reiter's disease, also known as reactive arthritis, is an autoimmune condition that develops in response to an infection in another part of the body. Sarvesh used to work as a casual labourer before he was crippled by the disease, his petition has said. He has contended in his plea, filed through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, that he has been admitted in AIIMS but his surgey has not been performed as it costs 8 lakh, an amount he cannot pay. He has submitted that his wife works as a domestic help and her salary is not sufficient to feed their family of four, let alone pay for the surgery. “The patient made several representations to AIIMS, government of NCT of Delhi and the government of India requesting them to perform the surgery free of cost. However, the doctors at AIIMS reiterated that it could not be done until the amount of the expenses is paid,” the petition said. The matter is likely to come up for hearing in the coming week. —