NHRC issues notice over media report of newborn at Delhi's IHBAS hospital

The infant was reportedly born in the washroom of the government-run mental health facility, where the mother, a destitute patient, had been admitted under a court order on September 7.

According to the report published on September 10, the hospital lacked basic childbirth facilities, and staff struggled to even procure a clamp to cut the umbilical cord.

The mother and child were eventually transferred to Swami Dayanand Hospital via ambulance, but the newborn could not be saved.

The NHRC has deemed the incident a potential violation of human rights and issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), demanding a comprehensive report within two weeks.

The Commission stated that if the media account holds true, it reflects a grave lapse in the duty of care owed to vulnerable patients.

This tragedy has cast a harsh spotlight on the longstanding infrastructural deficiencies at IHBAS.

Recent media investigations reveal that the institute, considered a cornerstone of mental health and neurological care in India, has been operating without MRI or CT scan machines since 2012. X-ray and ultrasound services are also severely limited, raising serious concerns about the quality of diagnostics available to thousands of patients.

During a surprise inspection last week, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta expressed shock at the conditions and announced plans to construct a new hospital building. She pledged to address the critical gaps in medical infrastructure within the current financial year.

CM Gupta, who personally interacted with patients and families at the Dilshad Garden campus, called the situation "highly unfortunate."

Despite catering to 2,500-3,000 OPD patients daily, the hospital has only ten ventilator beds and 317 inpatient beds, woefully inadequate for an institution of its stature. (ANI)