The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that the doctors at a government hospital in Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh neither offered the services of an ambulance to the father of a deceased boy nor informed him about the facility to take his son’s body back home. As a result, he carried the body of his deceased son, on his shoulders. Reportedly, the doctors spared a few minutes to see the 15-year-old patient and told his father to take him away as there was no life in his body.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report are painful and indicative of insensitive and negligent attitude of the doctors at the government hospital where most of the visitors are from poor families. The incident amounts to violation of human rights. The Commission has also observed that the Chief Medical Officer of Etawah D0istrict, Dr. Rajeev Yadav has reportedly admitted that the fault was on their side and he has assured that strict action shall be taken against the guilty. He has further added that the boy was brought dead to the hospital when the doctors were busy with a bus accident case and they could not ask from the father of the deceased, whether he needed a transport.
Accordingly, the Commission has issued notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh calling for a detailed report regarding the incident, within four weeks specifically, providing information on the following points:
1. Number of Ambulance vehicles available in the hospital;
2. Number of Drivers available in the hospital to drive the Ambulance vehicles;
3. Whether information about availability of Ambulance service for carrying a patient or a dead body has been put at the conspicuous place; and
4. Details of the formalities required to be fulfilled for availing the Ambulance service.
National Human Rights Commission
