NHRC notice to Jharkhand on deaths of 52 infants in 30 days

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notice to the Jharkhand government on thr deaths of 52 children in 30 days at a government-run medical college in Jamshedpur.

The local media reported 61 deaths at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGM) in Jamshedpur, which falls in Chief Minister Raghubar Das' constituency, from July 1 to August 27.

The NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that weeks after a controversy erupted over the Gorakhpur tragedy, 52 infants have now been reported dead in Jharkhand, it said in a statement.

"According to the reports, the infants have died in a span of 30 days and the hospital Superintendent has reportedly blamed malnutrition for the deaths," it said.

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

It has 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 due to any negligence, such tragic deaths do not take place in any hospital in the country.

It may be recalled that the NHRC had recently taken cognizance of two similar incidents.

One occurred in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district, where more than 60 children and infants died at BRD Medical College, and another was reported from Chhattisgarh, where four infants died due to negligence by the oxygen plant operator at Ambedkar Hospital.

The reports are awaited in both the incidents. - IANS