Telangana HC Inquires About Availability Of Ambulances On National/State Highways For Migrant Workers, Including Pregnant Women [Read Order]

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday was of the view that the state must ensure that Ambulances are available on National and State Highways being presently used by migrant workers to reach their destinations.

Noting that there may be pregnant women among these migrant workers, the Chief Justice-led bench directed the Advocate General to inform the court in this behalf.

"Moreover, the pregnant women of our villages need to be rushed to hospitals. So far, no information has been furnished by the respondents with regard to the availability of these Ambulances on the National and the State Highways", noted the Division Bench.

The Court was alive to the tragic incident which transpired in the state on April 24, when a Government Hospital had denied admission to one pregnant woman, hailing from a district declared as Red Zone Area, to deliver the baby, citing grounds of haemoglobin and high blood pressure. Although, with the aid of the District collector and the concerned Superintendent of Police, she was sent to another District in an ambulance, due to non-availability of Doctors, the pregnant woman was forced to shift from 7 different hospitals. After travelling more than 5 hours in an ambulance, she was finally admitted in a hospital in Hyderabad and unfortunately, due to this delay, the women and infant baby had died.

The Court on Wednesday also took note that departmental proceedings have been initiated against those doctors, who were found to be negligent in this case. "It seems that no criminal action has been initiated, either against the said doctors, or against the concerned hospital. Therefore, this Court would like to know whether any criminal action has been initiated against the negligent doctors/ hospital", demanded the bench.

Click Here To Download Order

[Read Order]