The Chhattisgarh High Court has initiated suo moto proceedings following a profoundly disconcerting incident wherein a 25-year-old woman was compelled to deliver her baby on the floor of a health centre in Surguja district due to the unavailability of doctors and nurses. The court remarked that this situation epitomizes a deplorable state of affairs.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Sachin Singh Rajput took cognizance of a newspaper report on Monday. The report elucidated that on June 8, at the Navanagar Sub-Health Centre (SHC), the woman, in the throes of labor, arrived accompanied by a Mitanin (Community Health Worker). In the absence of medical professionals, she had no recourse but to give birth on the health centre’s floor.
The court’s order underscored that the woman’s relatives made frantic attempts to contact the medical staff, but their efforts were futile. Amidst this negligence, the community health worker intervened to assist with the delivery. Subsequently, postnatal care was administered by a traditional village midwife, as only a Class IV employee was present at the health centre.
The bench emphasized that this was not an isolated occurrence; similar incidents had been reported previously. The court directed the Health Department secretary to submit a personal affidavit concerning the incident, highlighting systemic inadequacies and advocating for prompt corrective measures.
This distressing scenario accentuates the imperative for reform and accountability within the healthcare system, ensuring such neglect and abandonment do not recur. The High Court’s intervention aims to rectify these egregious lapses and restore dignity and adequate care to those in need.
“It is a very sorry state of affairs if the aforesaid situation is prevailing at SHC, Navanagar. When the state government is incurring a huge amount of money for providing medical facilities to the public at large residing in the remotest part of the state, and authorities and the staff responsible for managing health centres are themselves absent and missing when they are needed the most, the state ought to take some stringent measures,” it added.
Additional Advocate General Yashwant Singh Thakur informed the High Court that the implicated medical officer has been suspended immediately, and an investigation is underway. However, regarding the nurse reportedly on duty who met with an accident, no corroborative documents have been submitted.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Sachin Singh Rajput, instructed the Health and Social Welfare Department secretary to file a personal affidavit delineating the steps taken in response to this grievous incident. Additionally, the bench ordered the immediate cessation of the circulation of the video of the incident, which has proliferated online.
The court mandated that the secretary must also apprise the bench of any measures taken to appoint another medical officer at the Navanagar SHC. This incident, occurring on June 8, has already led to the suspension of Dr. PN Rajwade, the Block Medical Officer of the area, for prima facie negligence.
This judicial intervention reflects the acute urgency and gravity with which the court is addressing the systemic failures in the healthcare system. The court’s directives seek to ensure accountability, halt the further dissemination of the distressing video, and restore public trust through the implementation of immediate corrective measures.
In the midst of these developments, the High Court’s actions serve as a potent reminder of the critical need for diligence, responsiveness, and unwavering commitment to maintaining the standards of care that every citizen rightfully deserves.
