The government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court Bench here that discussions were under way with Anna University in Chennai for the introduction of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system in government hospitals to prevent incidents of newborns being lifted from the maternity wards.
State Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan made the submission in a report filed before a Division Bench of Justices S. Nagamuthu and V.S. Ravi, who had mooted the idea of introducing RFID on September 23 during the hearing of a number of habeas corpus petitions filed by parents of babies lifted from various government hospitals in the last 10 years and could not be traced till date.
The petitioners included a visually challenged couple R. Muthumanickam and M. Mareeswari, whose three-day-old baby girl was lifted from Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here on January 9, 2006. The couple told the court that they had lost confidence in government hospitals after the incident and approached a private hospital for the delivery of their second girl child.
ADVERTISEMENT
After recording their submission, the judges gave the Health Secretary a month’s time to implement a foolproof system in government hospitals to win back the confidence of poor people. Before passing the order, Mr. Justice Nagamuthu wondered why Anna University should be involved for introduction of RFID, a simple system followed in shops and malls to prevent theft of goods.
“Did we ask you to send a satellite to the moon that you want to discuss the issue with Anna University? You can discuss this issue with textile showrooms in the city. They will tell you how to implement it. The Health Secretary’s report has nothing substantial but for informing the closure of a window through which monkeys entered into the maternity ward of GRH,” the judge lamented.
Subsequently, the Division Bench ordered that a compensation of Rs.3 lakh awarded by the State government, as directed by the court during the last hearing, to the visually challenged couple be deposited in a bank in the name of their nine-year-old girl and the parents could be allowed to withdraw the interest alone till the girl attains majority.
ADVERTISEMENT
The judges also recorded a resolution passed by the Executive Committee of Madurai Bench of Madras High Court Bar Association (MMBA) on Monday to undertake the entire educational expenses of the girl child till she completes her collegiate education and appreciated the Bar for accepting the suggestion made by them without any hesitation.
Court had suggested the idea following complaints of theft of babies