NHRC notice to the Government of Bihar over a ward boy reportedly throwing a patient out from the Hajipur Sadar Hospital in Vaishali (01.01.2019)



New Delhi, 1st January, 2019

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that a patient from the Burns Ward of the Hajipur Sadar Hospital of District Vaishali in Bihar was allegedly thrown out by a Ward Boy at a place where the garbage is dumped. The picture of the patient lying on the waste has also been carried. Reportedly, he was referred by Lal Ganj Referral Hospital for treatment there. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar calling for a report in the matter along with present health status of the patient, within four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the news reports, if true, amount to human rights violation of the patient. The right to health and proper medical care is one of the basic human rights. Even if the patient himself went out and collapsed, the incident indicates negligence on the part of the ward attendants/ nursing staff of the hospital as he could not be noticed for a long time.

According to the media reports, carried on the 30th December, 2018, the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital has stated that strict action will be taken against the guilty Ward Attendant and that the District Magistrate of Vaishali has ordered an investigation in the matter. Reportedly, the CCTV footage shows that the patient collapsed while he himself was going out of the ward. Once, the patient was noticed, he was again taken to the ward where he is under treatment.

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