Woman gives birth on CHC verandah, Odisha Human Rights Commission seeks report  

JAGATSINGHPUR: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Friday sought a detail report from the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) over delivery of a baby boy on the verandah of Balikuda community health centre (CHC) without any medical assistance recently.

Acting on a complaint filed by rights activist Ranjit Sutar, the panel asked the CDMO to conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report to the commission within four weeks.

Sources said in February, Krishnalata Swain, a 27-year-old woman of Mutunia village, developed labour pain following which her husband Niranjan called 102 ambulance service. However, the ambulance did not respond to his call. Harassed, Niranjan took Krishnalata to Balikuda CHC on his bicycle. After travelling on  bicycle for half an hour, Krishnalata’s condition worsened.

Unable to walk any further, she lay down on the verandah of the CHC. Despite their repeated calls for assistance, no medical staff came to shift the pregnant woman to the labour room. Later, the woman gave birth without any medical assistance, the petitioner alleged.

Even after the baby was born, the medical staff didn't visit the woman.

Instead, they asked her husband Niranjan to bring the baby to them and later, her husband shifted both the woman and the newborn baby to district headquarters hospital, Jagatsinghpur in a critical condition. It is a clear case of medical negligence, the rights activist stated.

Sutar, in his petition, has urged the rights panel to take stringent action against the medical authorities and order compensation for the victim. The next hearing of the case has been fixed on April 6.