NHRC notice to the Haryana Government over reported collapse of the part of civil hospital roof top in Gurugram (26.04.2019)

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that in Gurugram, Haryana 16 newborn babies had a narrow escape after a part of the ceiling of the government hospital came off. Though, there were no injuries to the babies but the incident has exposed the risk to the patients in the civil hospital building, which has already been deemed dangerous by the agencies concerned as on multiple occasions the slabs have fallen off.

The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Haryana calling for a detailed report in the matter, within four weeks. It has observed that such a dangerous condition of a building in Gurugram city, as reported, is perturbing and a matter of concern. It appears that a crucial project of shifting the hospital to a new building and arrangement of a proper building for the school students has been recklessly ignored by the administration. The State is responsible to ensure best medical care, education, safety and security to its citizens. This is a fit case of violation of human rights due to negligence by the civic authorities.

According to the media reports, a new hospital has been set up in the Sector-10 of the city but the number of patients coming to the Civil Hospital has not reduced. About 1,000 patients are being attended to in the hospital OPD, daily. The substantial amount of money has reportedly been spent by the government for the maintenance of this hospital building which is about 43 years old but it has not improved.

Reportedly, in order to enhance the number of beds, a new “100 bed hospital” is proposed to be shifted to a nearby building occupied by a government school, where about 900 students are studying. This plan of shifting the hospital, as mentioned in the news report, has been stalled after protests by the teachers and the students of the school. It is also mentioned that facing immense infrastructure crisis, the management of the government hospital is now forced to consider the option of public-private role for better medical services.

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