NHRC issues notice to UP govt over reports of medical apathy towards 2 expecting women

Taking a suo Motu cognizance of media reports of medical apathy towards two expecting women by various government and private hospitals in Gautam Buddha Nagar and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report in the matter.

The Commission has asked for details within four weeks including the action taken against the delinquent doctors and officials.

Reportedly, in the incident of Gautam Budh Nagar, an eight-month pregnant woman died when a frantic 13 hour hospital hunt failed to find her a bed. The 30-year-old woman was taken to at least 8 hospitals by her husband including the government run hospitals before she died in the ambulance, just outside a health facility in Greater Noida on June 5, 2020.

In the second incident of Noida, a 26-year-old woman was allegedly refused admission by the district Hospital in Sector-30 and as a result she delivered a still born baby on the pavement, outside the hospital. The family of the woman has reportedly alleged that had she got timely treatment, the baby could have survived.

The Commission has observed that contents of the news reports, if true, raise serious issue of violation of human rights as the state authorities have failed to ensure right to life and medical care to its citizens.

"It is understood that amid spread of COVID-19 virus, the hospitals are receiving a very large number of patients and there is shortage of infrastructure but denial to attend to the patients by the hospitals is a matter of concern for it," the commission said.

In the second incident, as per media reports, carried today on 08.06.2020, the family had brought the expecting woman to the NOIDA district hospital in an auto-rikshaw. When the hospital denied to attend the patient, they tried to arrange an ambulance but in the meantime, the woman delivered the stillborn girl on the pavement.

( With inputs from ANI )