New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of a report alleging that a woman was forced to deliver a baby on the roadside after being denied admission at a rural hospital in Pune, Maharashtra.
NCW chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar directed the Pune district collector and the Maharashtra public health department's principal secretary to investigate the ‘systemic lapses, fix accountability for negligence and ensure proper postnatal care for the mother and child’.
Rahatkar has also called for measures to strengthen maternal healthcare infrastructure to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The commission said a detailed action taken report has been sought within seven days.
"The NCW has taken suo motu cognisance of a deeply concerning report regarding a woman being forced to give birth on the roadside after allegedly being denied admission at Shirur Rural Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra," NCW said in a statement.
"The incident reported from Shirur, where timely intervention by residents and a doctor helped save both the mother and newborn, highlights serious gaps in emergency maternal healthcare and institutional delivery services," the statement read.
Also Watch:
The commission termed the incident a violation of the woman's right to reproductive health, privacy and dignity.
"The Commission has expressed deep concern, stating that every woman has the right to a safe, dignified, and institutional delivery, and forcing a woman to give birth in a public space is a serious violation of her right to reproductive health, privacy, and dignity," the statement added.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
