NHRC notice to Telangana govt over "neglect" of PHC

National Human Rights Commission today issued a notice to Telengana government seeking a report from it over alleged neglect of a Primary Health Centre in Hyderabad where there has been no electricity for the last four months due to non-payment of bill.
According to an NHRC statement, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Telengana calling for the report within four weeks into the allegations that the operation theatre of a six-bedded Primary Health Centre for pregnant women and new mothers in Hyderabad remained non-functional and was covered in dust.
The notice was issued after the Commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report which alleged there had been no electricity in the Centre for the last four months due to non-payment of electricity bill of Rs 72,000 due to a political limbo following the creation of new Telengana State.

"In the empty Centre, the labour room was dark, dingy and abandoned. Deliveries and other services were stopped even as emergency cases were being turned away," the statement said.
Reportedly, no doctor had been posted there since January this year and Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives (ANM) had been running the Centre. The Centre caters to about 70,000 population. One ANM said they had no option but to stop deliveries and other services.
The Commission has observed there has been a serious violation of human rights of women in particular who needed maternity care and medical treatment and others in general who were being deprived of primary healthcare facilities at this Centre.