MPHRC issues notices to officials after woman denied health care gives birth in moving vehicle, loses baby

Bhopal, The Madhya Pradesh Human Right Commission (MPHRC) has issued notices to the collector and the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of Chhatarpur district after a poor woman lost her newborn baby, as she was allegedly denied care at a government-run health centre, an official said on Saturday. The incident took place on Thursday morning, when the woman in labour turned up at Naugaon community health centre, 23 km from the Chhatarpur district headquarters, the woman's father in-law Gyan Rajput told reporters.

The staffers at the facility informed them that the woman was expected to deliver the baby between 9 am and 10 am, but they did not admit her to the centre and she was left lying on the floor waiting for medical attention, he claimed.

After six hours around 1 pm, the woman was referred to the district hospital. However, they did not have any money and could not get an ambulance from the centre, Raiput said.

Looking at the woman's condition, a Good Samaritan arranged a private ambulance to rush them to the district hospital, but she delivered the baby in the vehicle itself and the infant did not survive, he said.

Taking cognisance of the incident, MPHRC chairman Narendra Kumar Jain on Friday directed the Chhatarpur district collector and CMHO to submit their report to the commission in a month, an official said.

Apart from this, the commission has also sought to know if the woman had been compensated for her loss, he said.

"Considering the seriousness of the issue, investigations are underway. The guilty will not be spared," Chhatarpur CMHO Dr Vijay Pathoria told PTI.

Chhatarpur collector Sandeep GR said he has directed the CMHO to take action against the guilty.