The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi has constituted a committee to examine the treatment and circumstances surrounding the death of 15-year-old Tanvi, a Kota resident who had been under treatment for a complex congenital heart condition since she was two.

The decision comes amid questions raised by Tanvi's family over the years-long delay in corrective heart surgery and the circumstances of her death at the premier hospital. AIIMS said on Wednesday that the committee will review her complete clinical records, investigations, treatment, expert opinions and the sequence of events leading to her death.

Tanvi died at around 5.06 am on September 1, hours after she developed severe cyanosis and subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest. She had been admitted to AIIMS on August 24 and was being evaluated for a possible heart-lung transplant.

Tanvi's 13-year wait for surgery

Tanvi was first taken to AIIMS on October 10, 2012, when she was two years old. She was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect (VSD) with pulmonary atresia, a serious congenital heart condition in which the normal flow of blood from the heart to the lungs is severely obstructed or absent.

The family's account of what followed differs sharply from the hospital's explanation.

An AIIMS estimate certificate dated January 31, 2014, recorded the diagnosis as "VSD + pulmonary atresia" and listed "unifocalisation & conduit" as the required surgery, with an estimated cost of Rs 1.25 lakh. The document also mentioned four blood donors.

Tanvi's father, Mukesh Pariyani, has alleged that surgery dates were subsequently given but the operation did not take place. He claims that a date of September 2, 2015 was later shifted to November 16, but the procedure never materialised. He also alleged that he paid Rs 30,000 to a person he described as an implant/drug company representative for implants. This allegation has not been independently verified.

The family continued to approach AIIMS over the years. A grievance filed in 2016 was referred to the treating department for further evaluation and management of surgery. In June 2025, the family again raised the issue, saying Tanvi was awaiting surgery and that they could not afford treatment elsewhere. The family also approached the Prime Minister's Office in February this year, alleging that her condition was deteriorating.

Why AIIMS says surgery was ruled out

AIIMS, however, says its assessment of Tanvi's condition changed as the complexity of her cardiac anatomy became clearer.

According to the hospital, she underwent detailed investigations in 2013, including CT angiography, conventional angiography and cardiac catheterisation. After a comprehensive evaluation, the treating team concluded in 2017 that corrective surgery was not feasible because of her underlying cardiac anatomy.

A 2018 assessment found that major blood vessels supplying her lungs were absent and described her cardiac anatomy as complex. A treating doctor subsequently said she was not a candidate for corrective surgery because the pulmonary arteries were essentially absent and surgery could have been fatal if the anatomy was unsuitable.

AIIMS said the family was accordingly advised medical management and regular follow-up. It said the family continued to seek opinions about surgery, including from the then Head of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery last year and another senior cardiothoracic surgeon, with both advising continued medical management.

The hospital's latest statement does not, however, address in detail why surgery listed as required in its 2014 document did not take place before the hospital says corrective surgery was ruled out in 2017.

Tanvi returned to AIIMS as her condition worsened

By August 2026, Tanvi's condition had deteriorated and she was brought back to AIIMS. She was admitted on August 24 for evaluation for a possible heart-lung transplant, according to the hospital.

The transplant work-up included several investigations. Her father has claimed that an endoscopy was performed at around 7 pm on August 31 and that her condition deteriorated later that night.

AIIMS has given a different account of her final hours, saying Tanvi developed sudden fatigue and weakness at around 2.50 am on September 1, followed by severe cyanosis, with her oxygen saturation falling to about 48 per cent.

Oxygen support was started at around 3.30 am, after which she suffered a hypoxic spell leading to cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, she could not be revived and was declared dead at 5.06 am, the hospital said.

Family seeks answers, AIIMS orders inquiry

Tanvi's father has said he was not given a satisfactory explanation for his daughter's death. He has also alleged that hospital staff repeatedly sought documents and, at different points, pressured him to seek discharge. He has sought an investigation into what happened to his daughter. The allegations have not been independently established.

The family has also not yet taken Tanvi's body from the hospital, saying it wants answers about the circumstances of her death.

AIIMS said an autopsy is underway and that its findings will be considered alongside the clinical records and other evidence.

The committee constituted by AIIMS Director will now examine the entire sequence of events, including Tanvi's investigations, treatment, expert opinions and the circumstances surrounding her death. The hospital said it would take appropriate action based on the committee's findings.

For now, AIIMS has said it will not draw any final conclusion about the circumstances of Tanvi's death until the committee's inquiry and the autopsy are complete.



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