Bombay HC warns Maharashtra govt of strict action if any more children die of malnutrution – India Today

The Bombay High Court on Monday warned the Maharashtra government that the state health secretary will be responsible if any more children die due to malnutrition in the tribal belt of Melghat in Amravati district.

The division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni was hearing a batch of petitions concerning the deaths of children due to malnutrition in the Melghat region of Amravati.

“If we are informed by petitioners by the next hearing that there are further deaths owing to malnutrition, we will hold your (state) health secretary responsible. Tomorrow onwards, proper measures should be taken,” the bench said.

“We are putting the health secretary on guard and notice. If we come across that by the next hearing more deaths have taken place, we will take stern action,” it added.

Advocate Jugal Kishore Gilda, who appeared for petitioner Dr Rajendra Burma, told the court that the situation in Melaghat has worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic and if effective steps are not taken, at least 900 children might lose their lives in the near future.

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Activist and petitioner Bandu Sane claimed that at least 73 children have died due to malnutrition in the last one year. About 11,000 children are underweight and not much progress has been made to alleviate their suffering, Bandu Sane claimed.

Bandu Sane further pointed that there were no MBBS doctors or specialty hospitals available for the tribals of Amravati except for one hospital at the district headquarters. There were serious accessibility issues because of the lack of road connectivity, he added.

At hearing this, the court directed that gynecologists, pediatricians and radiologists from civil hospitals be deputed in tribal areas across the state, including the Chikhaldara-Melghat region for regular visits.

Advocate Neha Bhide, appearing for the Maharashtra government, said for the last many decades, the state machinery has been working towards trying to mitigate this problem.

However, the court did not buy the argument and asked the state government to file an affidavit, giving the current status of medical and other facilities made available in tribal areas. The court also asked the petitioner to file an affidavit giving the latest update on deaths due to malnutrition.

The central government has also been asked to inform the court about the total amount disbursed for the upliftment of tribals under various schemes so far and how it is monitoring the situation on the same.

The petitioners and the respective governments have to give the details to the court by September 6 when the court will next hear the matter.

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