Srinagar, June 2: Terming the infant deaths at GB Pant children’s hospital as a matter of ‘grave human rights violation,’ the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has said the government has failed to improve healthcare scenario at the hospital.
While admitting a complaint, the SHRC has asked the Commissioner/ Secretary Health and Medical Education, Principal/Dean Government Medical College Srinagar and Medical Superintendent GB Pant Hospital to explain their position till July 7 regarding the infant deaths.
“The matter pertains to the rights of newly born babies and both the state government and hospital administration have failed to improve the healthcare scenario at the child specialty institute to save precious lives of babies,” Rafi Fida, member of the SHRC told Greater Kashmir.
“It is the fundamental right of an infant to receive good healthcare and government has to provide it at any cost,” he said.
The complaint filed by national president, Yuva Lok Janshakti Party, Sanjay Saraf, urged SHRC to recommend some measures in order to avoid future loss of precious lives. “These deaths took an ugly turn from 2009 but government failed to handle the situation and it was taken as a normal process,” it said.
Sanjay filed the complaint on May 28 along with the official data showing number of deaths occurred from Jan 2009 till May 2012.
As per figures compiled by the Principal GMC Srinagar, year 2010 leads the death toll with 1038 neonates and pediatrics dying. In 2009 the figure of deaths is 945 while it is 845 in 2011.
The petition prayed the government should be directed to constitute a committee involving all political parties which can go through the matter and give its report to the government. “Health sector should be the priority and all the peripheral and district hospitals should be upgraded and provided with specialized care for infants in order to decrease the patient flow in the GB Pant Hospital,” it reads.
“Till the construction of new pediatric hospital is complete government should take some strong measures and make officials accountable and answerable taking moral responsibility,” the petition said.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 2 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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