Keonjhar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a final reminder to the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), urging the submission of action taken reports (ATRs) by March 1. The NHRC in the order issued January 22 warned that failure to comply would compel it to invoke its powers under Section 13 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The ultimatum comes after failure of the MoH&FW in submitting the requisite report despite repeated directions and a subsequent reminder.
The NHRC had previously addressed the complaint of human rights activist and senior advocate Radhakanta Tripathy, who highlighted the suffering of the public due to inadequate functioning of Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and district hospitals across various Indian states. The apex rights body, in its proceedings dated June 13, 2024, directed the Secretary of the MoH&FW to submit an ATR within four weeks.
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However, the report was not submitted. A follow-up directive was issued December 5, 2024, giving the ministry an additional four weeks to provide the report. Despite repeated reminders, no report has been received by the commission. Tripathy’s complaint cited deaths among vulnerable populations due to poor healthcare infrastructure, a lack of staff, and insufficient medical resources. He requested the NHRC to intervene and ensure that their basic human rights are protected by improving healthcare services. His recommendations included improving staffing at PHCs, CHCs, and district hospitals, implementing electronic attendance for staff, preventing private practice by government doctors by providing them Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA), ensuring transparent transfer and promotion processes, and establishing super-specialty hospitals every 100kms with National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) accreditation. The NHRC, acknowledging Tripathy’s complaint, had initially directed the ministry to submit an ATR by 10 July, 2024. In the absence of any response, the commission issued a second directive December 5, 2024. The final reminder has now been issued with a deadline of March 1 for the submission of the report, failing which the NHRC may take further action.
