Human rights commission issues notice to UP for 'callousness' by hospitals

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to Uttar Pradesh government over reports of alleged "callousness" shown by authorities at a few hospitals in the state, including in Mirzapur where a 70-year-old man had to carry his ailing daughter-in-law on his shoulder, who eventually died.

The notice has been sent through the state's chief secretary and the commission has sought a detailed report on the matter within four weeks.

The NHRC, in a statement said, media reports point towards lack of proper medical care facilities at few hospitals in the state leading to inconvenience to patients and their attendants.

As per reports, the young woman was brought to a district hospital in Mirzapur on September 4 but the doctors “did not attend to her for nearly five hours.”

“She was taken to a private hospital but was referred back to the district hospital. No stretcher was available and the woman was carried by her father-in-law on his shoulders. Her condition deteriorated and she was referred to Varanasi on September 6, where she died the next day,” the NHRC said in a statement.

Also, a 12-year-old boy was carried on shoulders by his father at a government hospital in Kanpur as no stretcher was available there. The boy later died at the hospital, it said.

"In another incident, an ambulance driver demanded a sum of Rs 1,500 for carrying the body of a deceased back to his village and the relatives were forced to carry the body on a motorcycle in Kasganj district before some people came forward and arranged a private ambulance," the statement said.

“Such incidents, where the family members in the state of helplessness, are forced to carry their loved ones on their shoulders for want of basic infrastructure, are indicative of violation of their right to dignity and sheer callous and negligent attitude of the authorities concerned,” it observed.