The Chattisgarh High Court, prompted by a newspaper report, has initiated a suo moto action to address a concerning incident. The report highlighted a distressing scenario wherein a woman was compelled to give birth on the floor of the Ambikapur Sub Health Centre due to the absence of medical staff, including doctors and nurses.

The Division Bench, comprised of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Sachin Singh Rajput, strongly denounced the incident, characterizing it as "a very sorry state of affairs."

"It is a very sorry state of affairs if the aforesaid is the situation prevailing at Sub Health Centre, Navanagar, Ambikapur," the Bench remarked.

The Court further said, "When the State Government is incurring a huge amount of money for providing medical facilities to the public at large residing in the remotest part of the State, and the authorities and the staff who are responsible to manage the affairs of the Health Centres are themselves are absent and missing when they are needed the most, the State ought to take some stringent measures."

The Public Interest Litigation was initiated following a news report published in the 'Times of India' Raipur Edition on June 10, 2024, titled 'Woman delivers baby on floor in Ambikapur’s SHC'.

The Division Bench was brought to notice of a news report outlining the harrowing experience of a 25-year-old pregnant woman who delivered her baby on the floor of the Navanagar Sub Health Centre in Surguja District (Ambikapur) on June 8, 2024, with no medical staff present. As per the report, the woman, accompanied by a community health worker (Mitanin), reached the center in labor. Unfortunately, there were no doctors or nurses available to provide assistance, leading to the woman delivering her baby on the floor.

The report further highlighted that despite efforts by the woman's family to contact medical staff, no response was received. In the absence of doctors or nurses, the delivery was assisted by the community health worker (Mitanin), with postnatal care provided by a traditional midwife from the village, as only a Class IV employee was present at the health center. The newspaper also underscored that such incidents were not uncommon at the facility.

Additional Advocate General (AAG) Yashwant Singh Thakur, representing the State of Chattisgarh, informed the Bench that action has been taken against the responsible medical officer. An inquiry has been initiated, and the officer has been suspended with immediate effect. Regarding the nurse on duty, it was reported that she had been involved in an accident; however, no supporting documents regarding this incident have been submitted.

Expressing profound concern, the Court issued directives to the Secretary of the Government of Chhattisgarh's Health and Social Welfare Department. The Secretary was instructed to submit a personal affidavit outlining the actions taken in response to the incident. Additionally, the Court ordered the Secretary to cease the further dissemination of a video capturing the incident, which had gained traction online.

''In view of the above, the respondent No. 2 i.e. the Secretary, Government of Chhattisgarh, Health and Social Welfare Department, Raipur, is directed to ile his personal affidavit regarding the steps which have been taken with respect to the incident and further to ensure that the video which has been made viral online is also stopped immediately from being circulated any further.''

Accordingly, the Court scheduled the matter for further hearing on June 14.

Cause Title: Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation regarding “Woman delivers baby on floor in Ambikapur’s SHC v. State Of Chhattisgarh & Others