Extending help to woman for son’s medical treatment in Australia: Centre tells Delhi HC

New Delhi, June 16

The Centre on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that it was extending all possible help to a mother who has sought direction to provide medical assistance and supervise the treatment of her son suffering from a life-threatening health condition in Australia.

Justice Navin Chawla, who heard the case, noted the submission of the counsel for Centre that the Indian Consulate is looking in this matter and three officers have been dedicated for it to provide best possible help.

The court listed the matter for hearing on June 18 while asking the Centre to apprise it about further steps taken in this regard.

Central government standing counsel Ajay Digpaul submitted that an Indian-origin doctor has also been asked to visit the patient in the hospital in Australia and as issuance of visa is a diplomatic call, they cannot commit anything but discussions are going on.

He said the Indian authorities are taking care of the woman’s son in the best manner.

The woman, a widow, has sought direction to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to provide all medical assistance and supervise the treatment of her son who is hospitalised in Melbourne with end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis and is in a critical situation.

The woman, Inderjeet Kaur, said her son Arshdeep Singh had gone to Australia in 2018 to pursue higher studies on a student visa and on June 9, 2021, she came to know that he has been admitted to a hospital there.

She submitted that she along with a relative has already applied for an urgent visa and sought direction to the MEA to extend help and facilitate them in getting tourist visa from the Australian High Commission, so that she can reach there as soon as possible to look after her son.

The plea said they have also submitted their travel exemption approval form required due to the Covid-19 global pandemic.

It said despite there being extreme urgency, the petitioners have not heard anything on their visa applications nor there has been any response either from the Australian High Commission in India or from the MEA. PTI

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