NHRC notice to AIIMS for 'refusing' bed to Akshardham hero

The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued notice to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi for its reported refusal to provide admission to the National Security Guard commando and Akshardham hero Surjan Singh.

The rights body also sought a report from the AIIMS director within a week.

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The NHRC took suo motu cognisance of a news item about premier institute's refusal to provide a bed to Singh, who has been in a coma for the last one year after being hit by one of bullets fired by the militants. The temple was attacked on September 25, 2002.

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The report had said the NSG had made a formal request for a bed in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital for the 25-year old Singh about ten days back.

"However, the premier hospital has decided that it cannot spare a bed for the Akshardham hero, who received four bullet injuries and is currently languishing in an Ahmedabad hospital," the NHRC quoted the report as saying.

The AIIMS, however, has refuted the report and said the comatose commando would be shifted to the premier institute.

"The AIIMS has already acceded to the request from the NSG headquarter for shifting the commando from Ahmedabad to the Institute," N Baijendra Kumar, deputy director (administration), said in a statement.

He said the hospital authorities were in touch with NSG officials and working out the modalities of shifting the injured commando to AIIMS and give him the best medical facilities.