The State Human Rights Commission has registered a case and ordered a probe into an incident where a woman was reportedly denied treatment at three hospitals and left to carry a dead foetus for days.
The 23-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, later was delivered of a stillborn at Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Parippally. Commission member V.K. Beenakumari has sought a report from the Kollam District Medical Officer and instructed her to conduct an investigation into the circumstances that led to the complaint.
As per reports, Meera, 23, a resident of Kalluvathukkal, and her husband visited three hospitals, including the Paravur taluk hospital, Kollam Victoria Hospital, and Thiruvananthapuram SAT Hospital for treatment. While a patient at the Paravur taluk hospital, Meera was referred to Victoria Hospital on September 11 after she complained of abdominal pain.
Reportedly, Victoria Hospital denied her treatment since she had no women caregivers. She was then taken to the casualty of SAT Hospital, but as per the complaint, the doctor refused to examine her. Later, she was taken to the MCH at Parippally where she delivered the baby. According to the couple, the doctors told them that the baby must have died five or six days before delivery.