NHRC Seeks Report On 52 Child Deaths In Jharkhand

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a report related to death of 52 infants at Jamshedpur's Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM) hospital in Jharkhand.

The NHRC press release said the infants reportedly died within 30 days and the hospital superintendent has blamed malnutrition for the deaths.

The commission observed that painful deaths of children and infants, in a large number, were a matter of concern. It issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Government of Jharkhand calling for a report in the matter within six weeks.

The NHRC also asked the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to take immediate action by way of issuance of suitable directions to all the states and union territories so that such tragic deaths do not take place due to any negligence in any hospital in the country.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government has formed a three-member committee headed by the director (medical education) to enquire into the high number of death of children. The children reportedly malnourished were admitted in the critical care unit of MGM hospital.

Various organisations, including the Jharkhand Human Rights Conference, also demanded action against the people responsible for the deaths.

The Congress lodged a complaint with the Sakchi police station in Jamshedpur against Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Health Minister Ramchandra Chandravanshi, Health Secretary and three others in this connection. The Congress claimed that 164 out of the 1,867 children admitted to the hospital between May and August had died.