Protests in Delhi Gathering Against Death of a Young Boy from Manipur Due to Negligence of Doctors

New Delhi, 19th September 2012

Mutum Bony Jajo lying on bed of Safdarjung Hospital

Mutum Bony Jajo, a 21 year old, a brave young man from Sagolband Thangjam Leirak, Imphal West, Manipur born to a Meitei father, late Mutum Kumar and a Tangkhul mother, Mrs Lucy Jajo passed away at 2.40 am in morning of 16th September in New Delhi's Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj. Bony was completing his graduation from Manipur University.

Family members and friends of Mutum Bony Jajo who tended to him have charged New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital for his death due to negligence by doctors. Delhi police has been informed about the tragic incident and subsequently police case against Safdarjung Hospital has been registered at Vasant Kunj North Police Station. Post-mortem report from AIIMS is still being awaited.

Mutum Bony Jajo was unwell for several days with infection in lungs. He was suffering from breathing problem and had complained of pain in his chest. So, first on 12 Sept 2012 he was admitted to AIIMS hospital OPD and basic treatment was given and was sent away. But on the same day he developed further pain in his chest, so at night he was taken to Safdarjung Hospital emergency ward where he was again he was about to be sent off by doctors after administering some medication.

However the victim himself realising that doctors while giving priority to others and aware that they are again going to not treat him well in emergency ward, ran inside the hospital and positioned himself in the next empty bed that he saw in ward no.12, second floor bed no.21 of the hospital and demanded that he be tended to as he realised that he was very unwell inside and needed support.

After much effort, doctors in Safdarjung Hospital started treating him in a very lackadiasical manner. They were aware that Mutum Bony Jajo needed urgent ICU care but as one of doctors in hospital tending to Bony told a family member,”He is very young and hence fight it out and hence we did not give him an ICU bed as there are others who need it more than him”.

Due to breathing problem, doctors inserted a tube for artificial giving of oxygen which was not done properly by tending nurses and attendants resulting in Bony vomiting blood in the course of the negligent treatment. Bony’s feet and hands were asked to be tied when he resisted again. Before he fell very weak, Bony asked for a pen and paper and wrote, “The doctors are going to kill me” and in anger threw paper away. The illness worsened and later his body was swollen up and he continued to be breathless. Yet no doctor tended to him with urgency. Later, doctors made an incision on the left side of his chest apparently to take our “bad blood/infection” from his lungs and left him lying like this for 48 hours.

Mutum Bony Jajo

Friends and attendants pleaded for him to be shifted to an ICU but all pleas were turned down. Later a woman doctors told a lady attendant in confidence, a fact which was not told to his brother and others tending to Bony that “Bony had 7 heart attacks on day 1 of his being admitted to Safdarjung Hospital and that he is critical and needs to be in ICU”

As his conditon worsened and with no proper treatment given by Safdarjung Hospital inspite of severity of his suffering, family, friends and well wishers took the decision and after several phone calls, ambulance and doctor from Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj came on 14th September 2012 at around 7.40 pm he was rushed into ICU of the hospital.

As the shifting was going on, elder brother of Mutum Bony Jajo asked Safdarjung Hospital for Bony’s medical papers but they refused point-blank. This again was shocking as the papers were needed for other doctors to refer too – a highly unjust act.

Later, doctors tending to him at Fortis asked Bony’s brother Charles for past treatment record at Safdarjung Hospital. However upon reaching Safdarjung, hospital refused to give and upon insistence, scribbled something and sent Charles off. Had Safdarjung Hospital doctors shared the treatment papers, doctors at Fortis could have drawn some useful reference and speeded up Bony’s treatment.

Mutum Bony Jajo died in morning of Sunday, 16th September 2012 at 2.40 am.

During his time in Delhi, Mutum Bony Jajo had written his memoirs in which he penned the challenges he faced when his father was shot dead in 2005 and later when he was forcibly recruited as a child-soldier. Bony also worked as a volunteer for New Delhi based Control Arms Foundation of India. He had also done graphics for magazines like The Northeast Today (TNT) published from Shillong.

Mutum Bony Jajo came to Delhi to start a life of peace.He is one of the bravest young people whom we met. His death is a great loss. We call upon each one of you to help support in condemning the Safdarjung Hospital whose negligence lead to his death. Demand a proper investigation of the case, giving of Bony’s post-mortem reports at the earliest as police will only file an FIR after the post-mortem report.

On 21st September 2012, kindly congregate at Safdarjung Hospital Delhi Gate, Ring Road from 5 pm to 7 pm onwards to hold a Candle Light Vigil in memory of Late Mutum Bony Jajo

For more information contact:
Mrs Lucy jajo (Mother of Late Bony Jajo )

Mr Edwin Charles (Brother Late Bony Jajo)
Email : charles(dot)jajo(at)yahoo(dot)com

Mr Hopeson Jajo (Brother Late Bony Jajo)
Email : h(dot)irres(at)aol(dot)com

Delhi Office of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network
Email: Binalakshmi(at)gmail(dot)com