NHRC issues notice to Chhattisgarh govt after Sukma couple left to fend for themselves after baby’s death

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday issued notices to Chattisgarh's Principal Secretary of Health and District Collector of Sukma over non-availability of an ambulance to a woman patient.

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 Thursday midnight without getting an ambulance to drop them back home, the Rights body has asked to submit a report in the matter within four weeks.

"The contents of the media report, if true, amount to violation human rights," the Commission said in a statement.

According to recent media report, the woman after the delivery of her baby boy at the Kankerlanka health centre was referred to the Sukma district hospital on June 20. 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, it said.

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, the statement said.

Reportedly, the Health Department officials took cognizance of the matter and the DC has assured investigation into the matter, it said. (UNI)