The State health department has agreed to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to a mother, who lost her new born baby, based on a directive issued by the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
In July 2020, a newborn baby died in Ganesh Das Hospital shortly after birth, and hours after the mother was refused admission there. The mother was turned away by the hospital as she was from Mawlai Mawtawar, which was declared a containment zone due to Covid-19 then.
While the hospital had called the woman back after the intervention of NGOs, who raised the matter with DHS (MI) Dr Aman Warr, her baby died after delivery.
Based on newspaper reports, the rights panel took sou motu cognizance of the case and completed the entire process of collecting evidence and cross examination by April 17, 2021.
“Considering the matter from all angles including the trauma and mental agony suffered by and the damage caused to the victim (mother) by losing her child, the full bench of the commission passed an order on November 1, 2021 and recommended a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the victim,” a press statement from the MHRC today said.
The commission had observed that the State government should give due consideration to the recommendations made and should not drive the victim to ventilate her grievance by engaging a counsel at huge litigation costs and expenses, which she could ill-afford.
