NHRC seeks compliance report in ASHA worker’s death case
BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the chief secretary of Odisha to submit the compliance report and proof of payment after sanctioning a compensation of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of deceased Mini Pradhan, an ASHA worker from Daringbadi block in Kandhamal district.
“Pradhan, a native of Budrapanka village in the district, was pregnant and her expected date of delivery was September 2, 2016. She had died on September 5, 2016, due to unavailability of an ambulance, poor road connectivity and mobile network connection in her area,” alleged the petitioner’s lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy.
Alleging failure on part of the state in saving the life of Mini and her baby, Tripathy had sought a fair probe into the incident and assurance of road connectivity, ambulance facility and mobile connectivity in Mini’s area in a time-bound manner. He had also urged the rights panel for appropriate compensation for the family members of the deceased.
The petition was filed on September 6, 2016. The NHRC has taken up the case and conducted several hearings since then.
On February 21, the commission had recommended the state to pay the sum of Rs 3 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and directed the chief secretary to submit the compliance report along with a proof of payment.
The human rights commission has also issued reminders before October 22. The rights panel has issued another reminder to the chief secretary to file the compliance report with regard to the payment of compensation and its proof within six weeks. The next hearing is on December 13.
Tripathy said NHRC has expressed its serious displeasure over the contention of the state that emergency management is a complex subject and it is not feasible to provide ambulance in all the cases.
“If a government ambulance can not reach a difficult terrain, which has no proper connectivity, how can private transport facilities operate there for which the state claims to provide transportation reimbursement for shifting pregnant women,” Tripathy asked.
The inquiry report submitted by the state revealed that Mini had last attended the village health nutrition day session on September 2, 2016, where she had informed the doctor about her expected date of delivery. “Had local health officials tried helping her by taking her to a hospital in time, she and her baby would have been alive today,” the petitioner said.