Mumbai: Days after an infant lost his hand post suffering burn injuries due to a short circuit incident in the King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, a petition has been filed with the national and state-level human rights commission on Thursday.
Dr Yogesh Dube, a human rights activist and chairman of Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan, an NGO that fights for patients’ rights, has filed a petition and sought monetary compensation for the infant and demanded that the hospital should give the infant a prosthetic limb.
“The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation who runs the KEM hospital has claimed they have no provision for compensation in such cases, so we humbly request you to direct the BMC to immediately compensate the parents and provide a monthly stipend for this grave tragedy suffered,” read the petition.
The petition has been filed with National Human Right Commission (NHRC) and Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC).
Dr Dube has also requested BMC should frame a policy in such cases, for paying compensation to victims of such incidents that occur in civic-run hospitals.
“The corporation is not doing any favour by waiving the treatment fees. The infant’s father has lost his job and is worried about the future of his child. This is not only a violation of human and patients’ rights but also a criminal act,” he said.
Meanwhile, the has taken a suo motu cognisance in the fire incident at KEM Hospital in which two-month-old Prince Rajbhar lost his arm on Monday.
“The hearing will be held next week on November 21 and till then we have asked the hospital authorities and the BMC to submit their investigation reports,” said M A Sayyed, acting chairperson, MSHRC.
