A tragic incident in Jaipur has highlighted critical gaps in inter-state healthcare access and infrastructure safety. A 12-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh, who suffered severe electrical burns, died on Saturday night while undergoing treatment at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital.
A Fatal Accident and a Struggle for Treatment
The young victim sustained 70% burn injuries after coming into contact with a high-tension power line near her family's residence in Jaipur. She was admitted to SMS Hospital and battled for her life for seven days before succumbing to her injuries.
The case took a distressing turn when the hospital initially demanded payment for her treatment. Since the girl was from Madhya Pradesh, she was not eligible for cashless treatment under Rajasthan's Mukhyamantri Ayushman Arogya Yojana, which is reserved for beneficiaries from the state. This forced the family to briefly seek care at a private facility.
Family's Anguish and Demand for Justice
The girl's mother, Pushpa Ahirwal, narrated their ordeal. "My daughter died because of the high-tension line passing through our house. We have been working as labourers in Jaipur for over seven years, having come from MP to earn a livelihood," she said. The family has three children.
Ahirwal revealed the financial and emotional toll. "I spent more than Rs 20,000 just on ambulances to transport my daughter. Despite all efforts, we could not save her." She has demanded compensation from the government, holding the dangerously placed power line responsible for the accident.
Navigating Healthcare Schemes in Crisis
When the girl was first brought in, the family did not have an Ayushman Bharat registration. Faced with an initial treatment cost of Rs 50,000 from SMS Hospital, they managed to get her registered as an Ayushman Bharat beneficiary from Madhya Pradesh. Subsequently, SMS Hospital accepted this central scheme to provide cashless treatment, even for patients from other states.
"We got registered under Ayushman Bharat so we could get cashless treatment. We did not have to pay the Rs 50,000, but we have lost our daughter due to the government's high-tension power line close to our house," stated Ahirwal. This incident underscores the confusion and delays families face during medical emergencies due to complex, state-specific scheme rules.
The death raises serious questions about the safety of electrical infrastructure in residential areas and the urgent need for seamless, pan-India portability of health insurance schemes to prevent such bureaucratic hurdles during life-and-death situations.
