The Hindu : National : Where the poor are ill-treated

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 24, 2004

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National

Where the poor are ill-treated

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, NOV. 23. A public hearing, called by the Maharashtra Human Rights Commission and the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), recognised the right to healthcare as a basic human right. The acting chairman of the State Human Rights Commission, Justice A.D. Mane, said the fundamental right to healthcare was recognised under international human rights laws.

In a day-long hearing, at the Mumbai University convocation hall, testimonies were presented on how the public health system treated poor people. One of the most tragic was the story of two-year-old Arjun Bhaskar Ahire, who lives with his parents in an unauthorised slum in north Mumbai. Despite a hospital confirming that he had tuberculosis, his parents have had to run between the hospital and the health facility for the last six months to get the treatment to which he is entitled under various government programmes. As a result, Arjun's health is deteriorating and he has still not been treated.

Razia Qureishi, a 20-year-old first-time mother, registered in her seventh month at a public hospital for her delivery. On the day she was due, she reached the hospital at 7 p.m. but had to wait in the corridor for four hours before being taken into the delivery room. She was delivered of a baby boy at midnight. But for the next 12 hours no one came to look at her or the baby. Unable to feed the infant, she asked for help and was told to arrange for some medication. Meanwhile, the new-born was in distress as it had not been fed. He was administered only polio drops. A few hours later, he had difficulty breathing and died. Razia says the doctors told her it was her fault that the child died. "I want to know why my child died and who is responsible," she said.

All the testimonies recorded "neglect and rude behaviour" on the part of doctors and hospital staff. Mumbai's Joint Municipal Commissioner for Health, Dr. S.G. Damle, acknowledged that something was wrong in the system and "this is a chance for us to improve." He said the health infrastructure in the city was under tremendous pressure with the growth in population; some departments had occupancy of 180 per cent. But he promised to investigate all the cases presented at the hearing.

The State Human Rights Commission has agreed to facilitate on a regular basis an exchange between public health officials and the JSA. The Mumbai event is part of a series of public hearings being held in different parts of the country under the banner of the National Human Rights Commission and the JSA. This will culminate in a national-level hearing, to be held in New Delhi on December 16 and 17.

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