Chhattisgarh High Court: In a Public Interest Litigation (‘PIL’) filed based on news report dated 10-06-2024, published in the Times of India, Raipur Edition, with a heading ‘woman delivers baby on floor in Ambikapur Sub-Health Centre, the Division Bench of Ramesha Sinha, CJ., and Sachin Singh Rajput, J., took note of the published news report and stated that if this was the situation prevailing at Sub Health Centre, Navanagar, Ambikapur, then it was a very sorry state of affairs. The Court directed the Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, Health and Social Welfare Department-Respondent 2 to file his personal affidavit regarding the steps taken with respect to the incident and to ensure that the viral video was also stopped immediately from being circulated any further.
The news report dated 10-06-2024, stated that on 08-06-2024, a twenty-five-year-old pregnant woman delivered her baby on the floor at the Sub Health Centre, Navanagar, Ambikapur and that too, in absence of any Doctor or Nurse. After experiencing the labour pain, the said woman arrived at Sub Health Centre along with Mitanin-Community Health Worker, but neither any Doctor nor any nurse was present, and the woman had to deliver the baby on the floor. The family members of the woman tried to contact the medical staff which remained un-responded and as such the Mitanin helped in delivering the baby. Further, even the postnatal care was taken by the traditional midwife from the village because only a Class IV employee was available. The report also stated that it was not the first occasion where such incident had happened.
The Court stated that when the State Government had incurred huge amount of money for providing medical facilities to the public residing in remotest part of the State, and the authorities and staffs responsible to manage the affairs of the Health Centres were absent and missing when they were needed the most, the State ought to take some stringent measures. Further, the Court stated that if this was the situation prevailing at Sub Health Centre, Navanagar, Ambikapur, then it was a very sorry state of affairs.
The Court noted that the respondents had stated that action had been taken against the Medical Officer concerned, enquiry had been ordered and he was placed under suspension with immediate effect. Further, regarding nurse, who was on duty, was reported to have met with an accident. However, no documents with respect to the same had been filed.
Thus, the Court directed the Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, Health and Social Welfare Department-Respondent 2 to file his personal affidavit regarding the steps taken with respect to the incident and to ensure that the video which was made viral online was also stopped immediately from being circulated any further. The Court stated that the Secretary should also inform the Court regarding the steps, if any, taken by him to post any other Medical Officer at the Sub-health centre as the delinquent Medical Oicer concerned had been placed under suspension.
The matter would next be listed on 14-06-2024.
[Suo Moto PIL regarding Woman delivers baby on floor in Ambikapur’s SHC v. State of Chhattisgarh, WPPIL No. 38 of 2024, Order dated 10-06-2024]
Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Respondents: Yashwant Singh Thakur, Additional Advocate General
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