The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the State to file a report on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the government to establish an institute in Madurai similar to that of the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai, in order to reduce infant mortality rate in Madurai and other southern districts.
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A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad sought the report from the State government on the petition filed by activist A. Veronica Mary of K.K. Nagar, Madurai.
The petitioner sought a direction to the government to set up state-of-the-art operation theatres with modern equipment in the paediatric surgery unit of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Madurai, with adequate paediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists and form a committee to study and report about child deaths in the paediatric surgery unit.
The petitioner said a total of 4,432 surgeries were performed in the paediatric surgery unit at the GRH between 2018 and 2021. At least 261 children died as proper treatment was not provided to them. While 86 types of biochemical surgeries were being carried out in the paediatric surgery unit, 227 biochemical surgeries were being carried out at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai.
She said the GRH was easily accessible for the people of the southern districts. Therefore, it should be upgraded to the level of the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children, Chennai, she said. The court adjourned the hearing in the case.