AIIMS Delhi delays jaw surgery under Ayushman Scheme, women on liquid diet for 2 months

NEW DELHI: A critical jaw reconstruction surgery at AIIMS, Delhi has been stalled for over two months due to an administrative deadlock under Ayushman Bharat scheme, leaving a Haryana govt beneficiary in severe pain and unable to eat solid food.Dolly Mandal, a resident of Faridabad, suffered from ameloblastoma of the right mandible, a rare but locally aggressive jaw tumour that destroys bone and can lead to infection and facial deformity if not treated in time.Doctors at AIIMS advised an extended total temporomandibular joint replacement (one unit, right side) to remove the diseased portion of her jaw and reconstruct it. The procedure, estimated to cost Rs 2.5 lakh, including implants, was flagged as medically urgent, with doctors warning that delay could lead to rapid deterioration."The patient is undergoing treatment in the department of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Pre-authorisation was initiated on Dec 6, 2025, and the case taken up with the state health agency, Haryana, through email and telephonic follow-up. Approval, however, is pending with the state and is subject to clearance by the standing medical committee," said Dr V K Bansal, department of surgery, AIIMS. The authority to approve the procedure rests with state govt and is outside the ambit of AIIMS and National Health Authority, Bansal said. Alternative financial assistance may be explored only if the patient holds a BPL ration card, including relief under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi/Health Minister's Discretionary Grant or the chief minister's fund, he added. During the prolonged wait, Mandal's condition has worsened. Pus began discharging from the tumour, forcing her to survive on a liquid-only diet. The delay has also crippled the family financially, with the patient unable to work and her husband, a daily-wage labourer, staying back in Delhi to care for her and pursue the approvals. The pre-authorisation procedure was filed under an unspecified surgical package, as extended temporomandibular joint replacement is not listed under Health Benefit Package 2022, requiring special clearance from the state health authority. However, the process stalled amid administrative gaps at the state level.The case has drawn sharp legal criticism. "Why should a patient suffer because of paperwork? Administrative procedures cannot be a reason for delaying treatment. The high court already made it clear that medical care should not be delayed in any circumstance," said advocate Ashok Agarwal. Internal correspondence from AIIMS acknowledged the grievance but underscored the hospital's inability to proceed without state approval. Repeated calls and messages to Sumita Misra, Haryana health secretary, for her response on the issue went unanswered. As Mandal waits in pain despite being insured under a govt health scheme, her case exposes a deeper fault line in the system: When treatment hinges on files and committees, who answers for a patient left behind?