NHRC seeks reply in bullet-hit boy’s case

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday sought a report from the Delhi government regarding an 11-year-old boy, who had suffered a bullet injury in the head but was discharged by a government-run hospital in east Delhi after first-aid.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday sought a report from the Delhi government regarding an 11-year-old boy, who had suffered a bullet injury in the head but was discharged by a government-run hospital in east Delhi after first-aid.

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On February 5, HT had reported that the boy Nakul Bhargava's family had accused Dr Hedgewar Aarogya Sansthan Hospital of neglect as the doctors had allegedly failed to detect a bullet lodged in the his head and sent him home after some stitches.

The NHRC has asked the Delhi health secretary and superintendent of the hospital to submit a report within four weeks.

It was alleged that Nakul was discharged after first-aid without taking out the bullet in his head. “Nakul, after getting the first-aid at Hedgewar Hospital, had to spend a night in pain before his parents took him to a private hospital the next day where he was operated upon and the bullet removed,” the NHRC said.

While issuing notices, the commission observed that the contents of the press report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of right to health of the child.

Nakul was rushed to Hedgewar Hospital on February 2 when his head started bleeding. The hospital denies he was a
patient there. A CT scan conducted in a private hospital the next day showed a bullet lodged in his head. After an hour-long surgery, the bullet was removed.