Mother-baby death: Telangana HC asks state to report about facilities at Govt hospitals

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court has asked the state government to furnish a report about the amount of budget allotted to the government hospitals in districts, taluks, and villages.

A division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar was hearing a PIL about the death of a pregnant lady and her newborn due to non non-availability of medical equipment in the government hospital.

The court had converted a news story into Public Interest Litigation. On December 28, 2022, the vernacular daily highlighted the death of the poor pregnant lady due to non non-availability of medical equipment in the government hospital.

Twenty-four-year-old Charagonda Swarna, a resident of Yelmapalli village, Amrabad Mandal, Nagarkurnool was taken to the Primary Health Centre, Amrabad for delivery.

Due to a lack of medical equipment and staff, she was sent to Achampet Government Hospital. Later she was referred to a hospital in Nagarkurnool, where she was given primary medical treatment as her BP shot up.

Later, she was again sent to the Government General Hospital, Mahabubnagar, where she delivered a baby boy. The pregnant lady was made to run around 5 hospitals on an ill-fated day as the hospitals lacked the mandatory medical equipment, doctors, etc., due to which there was a huge delay in extending medical aid, which resulted in the death of both the mother and the child.

The Court directed the government to file a report about the amount of budget allotted by the TS government for extending medical facilities to all the government hospitals in districts, taluks, and villages

The court also sought a report about the facilities available at various Government hospitals in all the districts, Taluks, and Villages. Besides, it wanted to know about the availability of doctors in various government hospitals at the District level, Taluks, Village level, and Primary Health Centres.

Medical Superintendent, Government Hospital, Achampet, Nagarkurnool district, in his affidavit, has informed the Court that the lady was required to be put on a ventilator. However, the hospital lacked ventilators, due to which the lady died.

After adjudicating the PIL, the Court directed the Principal Secretary, Medical, Health and Family Welfare, Telangana to file a comprehensive affidavit.

The court has adjourned the matter for four weeks.