AIIMS Delhi has ordered a detailed inquiry into the death of Tanvi, a 15-year-old girl who had been under treatment for a serious congenital heart condition. Tanvi passed away earlier this month, and her family has alleged that a much-needed surgery was repeatedly postponed over the years, ultimately leading to her death.

What the Family Says

Tanvi, from Kota, had been visiting AIIMS Delhi since she was just two years old for treatment of her condition. Her mother, Bhavika Pariyani, said doctors kept pushing back the operation for years and demanded justice for her daughter.

Tanvi’s father, Mukesh Pariyani, said the family first came to AIIMS in October 2012. In 2014 they were given a surgery date, but when they showed up in September 2015 as scheduled, they were told the procedure would happen before Diwali instead. According to the family, the surgery kept getting delayed after that as well — they were turned away again in 2023, and after filing another complaint in 2025, were given a date in July, only to find the doctor was on leave that day. The family says they were later told the child could be managed on medication alone, and that further tests kept happening without the surgery ever taking place. The father has demanded strict action and a fair investigation.

The Medical Side

According to Dr. V. Devagourou, head of the CTVS department at AIIMS, Tanvi was diagnosed in 2012 with a complex congenital heart defect – a ventricular septal defect (VSD) with pulmonary atresia. She was evaluated for surgery in 2013, but doctors say that around 2017-18 corrective surgery was ruled out because of her cardiac anatomy: the major blood vessels supplying her lungs were essentially absent, making an operation potentially fatal. She was subsequently advised medical management instead.

About two weeks before her death, on August 24, Tanvi was admitted for evaluation for a possible heart-lung transplant. She underwent an endoscopy the day before she died, as part of that transplant work-up process.

AIIMS’s Inquiry Committee

Following the concerns raised in media reports, the AIIMS Director has constituted a committee to review the full sequence of events and establish the facts. The hospital administration says final conclusions will depend on the committee’s findings along with the autopsy report. AIIMS has stated that the family remained in continuous contact with the institute over the years and that multiple expert opinions were sought along the way.

This case comes shortly after another incident involving AIIMS made headlines – the family of a six-year-old girl alleged serious negligence connected to a kidney-related operation, which also led to a special inquiry committee being set up.

For now, the investigation into Tanvi’s case is ongoing, with both the family’s and the hospital’s accounts now public. A clearer picture of what caused the years-long delay is expected once the committee submits its report.