The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a shocking incident in which a woman was forced to give birth to a child under torchlight at the park of a government hospital in Faridabad, calling the incident a grave lapse.
HHRC Chairman's Remarks
Every pregnant woman is entitled to immediate, safe, and dignified medical care at a government healthcare institution, HHRC chairman Justice Lalit Batra said on Friday. If the allegations reported in the media are found to be true, the same would amount to a serious violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, he added. It painfully reminds one of primitive times when deliveries were conducted at home in the absence of proper medical facilities, institutional care, and professional support, Batra observed.
Details of the Incident
The Times of India reported that the pregnant woman was brought to the Government Hospital during the intervening night of May 15/16 while suffering from labor pain. However, the main gate of the hospital was allegedly found closed. Due to the alleged absence of doctors, nursing staff, and emergency medical assistance, the woman had to deliver the baby outside the hospital premises. The delivery and related medical procedures were conducted in the nighttime under torchlight conditions in an open public area. It was also reported that the attendants themselves arranged a wheelchair and waited for considerable time before any medical staff reached the spot.
Commission's Actions
The commission has asked district health authorities to submit a detailed report on the action taken against those responsible, along with the current status of infrastructure and manpower at government health facilities. The authorities concerned have been directed to submit reports at least one week prior to the next date of hearing, which is August 19. Assistant registrar Puneet Arora said HHRC has sought reports from the additional chief secretary, health and family welfare department, Haryana; Director General Health Services, Haryana; civil surgeon, Faridabad; and in charge, PHC Sector 3, Ballabhgarh.
Specific Queries
The commission has specifically asked the Faridabad civil surgeon to clarify why the pregnant woman was allegedly deprived of benefits under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) and why compensation should not be recommended for the serious violation of human dignity and human rights. Referring to photographs published in newspapers, Justice Batra observed that prima facie the situation appears extremely disturbing and inhuman.
Broader Implications
The matter concerns the rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, including the right to life, dignity, health, and emergency medical assistance. The commission noted that if the reported circumstances are accurate, they indicate a disturbing failure of the public healthcare system, where a pregnant woman was denied timely medical care despite reaching a designated health institution. The commission finds it a glaring, pathetic situation that on one hand, the Haryana government claims full implementation of JSSK, which ensures free and cashless delivery services in all public health institutions, while on the other, a pregnant woman, despite reaching the doorstep of a government hospital, could not access the labor room and emergency obstetric care in time and was ultimately compelled to deliver the child outside the hospital premises.
Key Questions Raised
The commission has treated the matter as an extremely sensitive issue relating to human dignity, right to life, and access to emergency healthcare services. It raises questions over the availability of doctors and nursing staff during emergency/night hours, functioning and accessibility of emergency entry systems, adequacy of emergency maternal healthcare services, accountability of medical and administrative authorities, and protection of dignity and privacy of women patients.
