NHRC notice to Chhattisgarh health dept for non-availability of ambulance for tribal couple

But the child died on the way when the couple was being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, the statement said.The ambulance driver then dropped the couple back at the sub-health centre.

The NHRC has issued notices to the health department of the Chhattisgarh government and the Sukma district collector over a report that a tribal couple, whose baby boy had died after delivery, was left stranded without an ambulance at a health facility in Kankerlanka.

Issuing the notices, the panel observed that the contents of a media report, if true, amount to violation human rights and accordingly, asked the officers to submit a report within four weeks, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement on Friday.

The NHRC has issued notices to the principal secretary, health and family welfare department, government of Chhattisgarh and the Sukma district collector after taking suo-motu cognisance of a media report that the tribal couple was left stranded at a sub-health centre in Kankerlanka till past midnight, without getting an ambulance to drop them back home, it said.

According to the media report published on June 22, the woman, after the delivery of her child at the Kankerlanka health centre, was referred to the Sukma district hospital on June 20. But the child died on the way when the couple was being taken to the hospital in an ambulance, the statement said.

The ambulance driver then dropped the couple back at the sub-health centre. The couple was told that another ambulance will take them back to their village but no vehicle was arranged. Finally, after midnight, a local journalist drove them to their village, the statement said.

Health department officials have reportedly taken cognisance of the matter and the district collector has promised a probe, the NHRC said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)