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AIIMS Panel Probes Conflicting Accounts of Teenager’s Death
AIIMS Delhi is investigating the death of a 15-year-old girl named Tanvi.
She had a serious heart problem from birth.
AIIMS says doctors tested her carefully and decided in 2017 that corrective surgery was not possible.
The hospital says she was advised to take medical treatment and return for checkups.
Tanvi’s father gives a different account and says surgery was promised but repeatedly delayed.
Tanvi returned to AIIMS in August 2026 after becoming more ill.
Doctors were also checking whether a heart-lung transplant might be possible.
On September 1, her oxygen level dropped sharply and her heart stopped.
The committee and an autopsy will examine what happened before any final conclusions are reached.
AIIMS New Delhi formed a committee to examine the clinical course and circumstances surrounding 15-year-old Tanvi’s death.
Tanvi was diagnosed with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary atresia after her first AIIMS evaluation on October 10, 2012.
AIIMS said detailed testing led doctors to conclude in 2017 that corrective surgery was not feasible, while her father alleged repeated postponements prevented surgery.
Tanvi was admitted on August 24, 2026, after her condition worsened and was evaluated for a possible heart-lung transplant.
She developed severe cyanosis and cardiac arrest on September 1, 2026, and was declared dead at 5:06 a.m.; an autopsy and committee inquiry are underway.
- Who
- AIIMS New Delhi, its inquiry committee, 15-year-old patient Tanvi, and her father Mukesh Pariyani.
- What
- A committee is reviewing Tanvi’s treatment, the sequence of events, and the circumstances surrounding her death.
- Where
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Tanvi was reported to be from Kota, Rajasthan.
- When
- Tanvi died at 5:06 a.m. on September 1, 2026, after being admitted on August 24, 2026.
- Why
- AIIMS ordered the inquiry after concerns raised in media reports and allegations from Tanvi’s father about delays in possible heart surgery.
Family’s Account
AIIMS’s Account
Whether surgery was available
Family’s Account
Tanvi’s father alleged that doctors said surgery would be performed and that his daughter could have received surgical treatment years earlier.
AIIMS’s Account
AIIMS said detailed evaluations in 2013 led the treating team to conclude in 2017 that corrective surgery was not feasible because of her complex cardiac anatomy.
What caused the delay
Family’s Account
Mukesh Pariyani alleged that money and blood were deposited in April 2014, but the operation date was repeatedly postponed despite hospital visits and complaints.
AIIMS’s Account
AIIMS disputed that surgery remained a viable option throughout this period and said later senior specialists also advised medical management.
Review of the death
Family’s Account
The family sought a detailed inquiry and strict action against those responsible.
AIIMS’s Account
AIIMS said its committee would review treatment records, investigations, expert opinions, and the circumstances of death, with conclusions awaiting the inquiry and autopsy.
Key facts
- Patient
- Tanvi, 15
- Initial diagnosis
- Ventricular septal defect with pulmonary atresia
- First AIIMS evaluation
- October 10, 2012
- AIIMS surgery assessment
- The treating team concluded in 2017 that corrective surgery was not feasible because of the complexity of her cardiac anatomy.
- Family’s allegation
- Tanvi’s father said surgery had been promised, money and blood were deposited in April 2014, and the operation date was postponed several times.
- Final admission
- August 24, 2026, for deterioration and evaluation including possible heart-lung transplantation
- Medical emergency
- Oxygen saturation fell to approximately 48%, followed by a hypoxic spell and cardiac arrest on September 1, 2026.









