4 min readNew DelhiJul 3, 2026 02:57 PM IST
First published on: Jul 3, 2026 at 11:43 AM IST
A four-year-old acid attack survivor who had to be moved out of a government hospital because of fungal infestation and rats in its burns ward will now be treated at a private hospital. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Bombay Hospital, Indore, to immediately admit the girl and reimburse the treatment cost, first from the Ayushman Card of the family, and if the limit is exceeded, then the district legal service authority should release such funds.
Justice Deepak Khot was hearing a request from the child’s family to shift her to a super-speciality private hospital.
The court cited photos that revealed the appalling state of the government facility where the girl was taken at first. “Taking serious objections to the said report, the family has shown recent photographs of the hospital to submit that the burn ward is not properly equipped and maintained with proper hygiene as it contains fungal infection on the walls, and there are even rats, for which cages are also kept at the site. The court has seen the photographs of the burn ward and also shown them to the counsel for the state,” the court said on 24 June.
The child, her six-year-old brother and their mother suffered serious burns in an acid attack on May 29. They had since been at the Community Health Centre in Rajpur, Barwani. They were discharged on June 18 for want of adequate facilities at the centre.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court moved the 4-year-old acid attack survivor to a private hospital over rats and fungus in the government burn unit.
Courts observations
Justice Khot, after observing the report of a committee of doctors, said that the family needed specialised treatment, and if it was not given to the girl and her brother of 6 year may suffer from sepsis and septic shock and can further develop other clinical abnormalities.
The family, said the court, was entitled to treatment at a private hospital of their choice, in line with the Supreme Court’s directions.
The family has named three private hospitals – Bombay Hospital, Apollo Hospital and CHL Hospital in Indore – and has said that with their Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya “Niramayam Yojna” card, they can get cashless treatment cover of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The girl’s counsel, advocate Shannoshagufta, said photographs of the hospital showed that the burn ward was not only inadequately equipped but also had fungus on the walls and rats scurrying around, for which cages were kept within the ward.
She cited the Supreme Court’s guideline that no hospital or clinic can refuse treatment to acid attack survivors citing lack of specialised facilities, and that private hospitals are expected to offer free treatment covering medicines, bedding, food and reconstructive surgery.
The court had earlier, given the urgent need for treatment, directed the state to admit the child at the Super Speciality Hospital in Indore by June 23. The state government then recommended the Community Health Centre. The family has contested it on grounds of hygiene and infrastructure.
Directions issued by court
- The court directed Indore’s Bombay Hospital to admit the child immediately and begin treatment the same day.
- The hospital has been ordered to maintain a separate account for the treatment cost, to be reimbursed through the Ayushman card.
- If the cost of any specialised surgery exceeds the insured amount, it will be paid by the secretary of the district legal services authority, subject to the outcome of the petition.
(Written by Avinash Verma. Avinash is an intern with The Indian Express)
The Madhya Pradesh High Court found that the if the survivors are not treated properly, it may result in sepsis, septic shock, and other clinical abnormalities. (image generated using AI) 
The Madhya Pradesh High Court moved the 4-year-old acid attack survivor to a private hospital over rats and fungus in the government burn unit.
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