An Uttar Pradesh man's emotional note seeking help for the treatment of his ill father has tugged at the heartstrings of internet users, prompting doctors and donors across other cities to offer aid with medical assistance and money.
Pallav Singh's father had a heart attack on September 15 and since then, he has been running from pillar to post at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), waiting in queue for upto 24 hours to get a doctor's appointment only to find out after multiple consultations over a month that only 20 per cent of his father's heart is functional. The man is in desperate need of surgery, but Singh claimed that he may have to wait for more than a year to get a date for the surgery.
Desperate, Singh, who hails from a middle-class family and has a terminally ill mother to also take care of, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his ordeal.
"I am from the Indian middle class which happens to constitute most of the Indian population and I have finally received the bill which kept me a step away from being poor. A hospital bill. I don't think I will be able to save my father," he wrote in an X thread.
"Papa had a heart attack on September 15 this year. Taken to the nearest centre, Gorakhpur, from my hometown, Deoria, in UP. Was diagnosed with blockage in three arteries and heart functioning at only 20 per cent. Referred to higher centre for further management," he added.
Singh and his sister brought their father to Delhi by the end of November. "My sister stood in the queue for 24 hours to get an appointment to see a cardiologist in AIIMS Delhi. Got the appointment. I did not think I'd be able to save him that day, but fortunately, nothing happened," he said.
The doctor asked for an echo test to be conducted at the hospital for which the family had to wait a week. Then, after waiting for another 24 hours, they were able to meet the doctor again - a Padma awardee - who apparently told Singh that his father's heart was very weak, prescribed some medicines, and asked him to leave and visit later without offering a date for the follow-up consultation.
"After a while, we realise the disease was very serious and needed urgent surgery. Then why did the doctor not refer him to a surgeon? No idea," Singh wrote, adding that he tried getting a second opinion from private hospitals and realised that they might have to sell their house to afford surgery in private hospitals.
After repeated visits to the doctors at AIIMS, which involved the ailing man waiting in an iron wheelchair for four hours in the cold, a disheartened Singh shared that as he waited in the queue for yet another appointment, he was sure of the outcome, and unsure if he would be able to get his father treated after all.
"Every night, with my father lying beside me on the bed, I pray, that some help comes and he gets better treatment and that too on time. I have no idea of what sort, but I need help. I am shattered, broken, devastated, penny-less, but alive, for now at least!" Singh wrote.
But as the word spread about his ordeal, help arrived.
"Please come to Mumbai, we will do the surgery in Sion Hospital as early as possible (within 3-4 days)," wrote cardiac surgeon Dr Prashant Mishra. "If he comes to Mumbai then I will take care of treatment but if he doesn't want to travel because of the medical condition then I request Pallav Singh to visit any private hospital and take a quotation, we will raise funds via crowdfunding."
Hours later, even Delhi AIIMS reached out to Singh and offered support. The institute said the patient has returned to his village.
"He will be coming to AIIMS for further treatment whenever his father feels discomfort and currently doesn't need any help," AIIMS wrote on X.
"We have offered technical support. Immediately after the tweet, we gave them our helpline number on direct message on Twitter (X)."
There were also numerous offers for donations.
"Hi Pallav! Please drop a QR and attach your due bills/hospital deets. I'll try to cover your expenses to the best of my capacity and I'm sure more people will turn up to help you out. Let's hope for the best, and my DMs are open. Wishing you strength in the meantime," commented Mumbai-based content creator Kritarth Mittal.
"Pallav bhai, my sister shared your thread with me a few moments back. Have read the entire thing. Have faith, my brother. I will do everything in my capacity to help. Please can you message me with the details; we can help with (a) immediate short-term need of funds, (b) trying to escalate things up at AIIMS, (c) interviewing you for a job at Leverage Edu (ed-tech firm) that can help stabilise for the long term," wrote Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Leverage.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
