NHRC seeks report from Odisha Govt. over death of young man at health Centre

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report, carried on the May 15 that a day after the death of his ailing wife, a man also lost his 24-year old son due to the lack of treatment facilities at a Health Centre, Athagarh town in District Cuttack, Odisha on the May 11.

His son could also not be shifted in time to a Government Hospital with proper facilities in Cuttack. He had no money to afford his treatment at a private hospital.

The man, Bharat Nayak of village Paikarapur in Joranda GP of Athagarh, is a Home Guard.

The news report has been brought to the notice of the Commission by its Special Rapporteur, Damodar Sarangi, who termed the incident as a gross violation of the Right to Life by the authorities, who possibly knew the state of the health of the young man.

The commission has observed that the incident raises serious concerns about the prevailing health care facilities in Odisha. It has issued a notice to the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Odisha Government calling for a report on the condition of the health services in the state and about the non-availability of the ambulance services at Athagarh Health Centre.

He has also been asked to inform the Commission whether any effort was made, by the concerned authorities, to get treatment to the victims under the provisions of the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna, the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the Odisha State Treatment Fund as well as under the schemes for the free treatment facilities for the people below under poverty line.

According to the media report and related issues brought by Sarangi to the notice of the Commission, Bapi, the son of Bharat Nayak was suffering from spinal disorder. His condition continued to deteriorate as the Health Centre was not equipped to treat him.

His father took him to Cuttack but returned as he could not arrange more than a lakh of rupees required for the treatment. Even as the body of his wife, who died due to heart attack, was lying at his home, Bharat was looking for divine intervention to save his son.

He took him to a nearby temple, even as his wife's body was on a funeral pyre with the assistance of Rs. 2000 from the state government.

On hearing this, some local people persuaded Bharat to take his son back to the Health Centre where he eventually died, even as Rs. 3,000 was arranged through Red Cross to shift him to Cuttack for treatment.