The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the reported maternal deaths in Rajasthan's Bhilwara and Banswara districts and issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Rajasthan government, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
The Commission acted on media reports highlighting the deaths of women following childbirth at government hospitals in the two districts.
According to the reports, eight women, including a minor, died within a week after undergoing treatment or childbirth-related procedures.
Five deaths were reported at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Bhilwara, while three, including a minor, occurred at the District Hospital in Banswara.
In its notice, the NHRC observed that if the reported facts are accurate, the incidents raise serious concerns of human rights violations, particularly regarding access to safe maternal healthcare in the BJP-ruled state.
The Commission has sought a comprehensive report from the Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma government outlining the circumstances surrounding the deaths, findings of ongoing investigations, and the measures being taken to prevent similar incidents. Meanwhile, reports suggest that maternal fatalities have continued in Banswara.
A woman reportedly died following childbirth on Wednesday night, coinciding with the visit of Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvasar to the district.
With this incident, six postpartum women and three newborns have reportedly died in Banswara in recent days.
Preliminary reports indicate that severe anemia may have contributed to several of the maternal deaths. One of the latest cases involved 20-year-old Shilpa, a resident of Kalakhunta village in Sajjangarh block. She reportedly delivered a stillborn baby before reaching a healthcare facility and was later referred from a rural hospital to the district hospital on July 14.
Owing to excessive bleeding and her critical condition, she was referred to Udaipur, where she reportedly died on July 15.
The reported maternal deaths in Banswara include Rekha (29), Ambapura, Reshma (23) Alkakheda, Madhya Pradesh, Lakshmi (21), Savaniya, Ghatol, Leela (32), Kahela, Garhi, Lakshmi (32) and Patela Panda.
In Bhilwara, five women died within six days after undergoing Caesarean deliveries at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.
The deceased were identified as Shimla Gurjar (July 5), Phori Devi (July 7), Isha Pandey (July 8), Divya (July 9), and Sangeeta Jinagar (July 10).
According to reports, all five women were shifted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit after their condition deteriorated but could not be saved.
Reports have also indicated that an infection screening of one of the hospital's operation theatres tested positive, prompting further scrutiny.
However, Mahatma Gandhi Hospital Superintendent, Dr. Arun Gaur, has maintained that the deaths resulted from severe obstetric complications and has denied allegations of medical negligence.
The NHRC is expected to examine the state's response after receiving the Chief Secretary's report.
--IANS
