NHRC notices to the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Chhattisgarh and District Collector, Sukma over non-availability of ambulance

New Delhi, 24th June, 2022

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Chhattisgarh and the District Collector, Sukma after taking suo-motu cognizance of a media report that a tribal couple, who lost their child after the delivery, was left stranded at a sub-health centre in Kankerlanka till past midnight without getting an ambulance to drop them back home.

Issuing the notices, the Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to violation human rights, and accordingly, has asked the officers to submit a report in the matter within four weeks.

According to the media report carried on 22nd June, 2022, the woman after the delivery of her baby boy at the Kankerlanka health centre was referred to the Sukma district hospital on 20th June, 2022. But the child died on the way when he was being taken with the parents on an ambulance to the district hospital. Seeing this, the ambulance driver turn around and dropped the couple back to the sub-health centre. The couple was told that another ambulance will come to take them back to village but none came until past midnight, when a local journalist drove them down to their village.

Reportedly, the Health Department officials have taken cognizance of the matter and the District Collector has assured investigation in the matter.

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