Cancer survivor moves HC as Customs dept withholds imported feeding tubes

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday issued notice to the Customs commissioner of Mumbai after a cancer survivor filed a petition complaining that his feeding tubes

The Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday issued notice to the Customs commissioner of Mumbai after a cancer survivor filed a petition complaining that his feeding tubes imported from the USA have been withheld by customs authorities.

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The Mumbai resident in his petition stated that in December 2016 he was diagnosed with oral cancer and due to remedial surgical operations his intake of food is only possible through feeding tubes. He added that the feeding tubes are not available in India and need to be imported from the USA as there is no alternative available.

Given the situation, he said, he imports necessary feeding tubes from the USA and maintains a stock. He said since his stock was depleted, he imported four boxes of the feeding tubes labelled ‘Osmolite Nutrio N-Food for Tube Feeding Patient’ from the USA through a courier, but the assistant commissioner of customs, Air Cargo Complex at Sahar in Andheri, has withheld the packets “on grounds which are unclear to the petitioner”.

The man moved the high court on Tuesday for urgent relief contending that he had a limited stock available with him which will last only a few days.

Acting on his plea, the bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice NR Borkar has issued notice to the customs authorities asking them to remain present in court either personally or through their lawyer and explain “the difficulty in releasing the packets containing feeding tubes.”

The court has posted the petition for hearing on Thursday.