Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has expressed its displeasure with the Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation (KDMC) for failing to submit a swearing-in affidavit regarding a case of alleged negligence that resulted in the death of a woman patient at a civic-run hospital. The commission imposed a cost of Rs 10,000, stating that the civic body’s approach towards the commission exemplified how it must have treated the woman patient.In May, a 43-year-old woman, Savita Birajdar, was unable to receive treatment at Rukminibai Hospital in Kalyan due to lack of facilities, and died while awaiting for an ambulance to transfer her to another hospital.MSHRC chairperson, Justice A M Badar, stated in his order, “The KDMC have to pay (the cost) to the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority, by the next date of hearing and non-payment shall entail the consequence of directing the District Collector to recover it, apart from prosecution of the concerned officer for committing breach of directions of law.”The commission has scheduled to hear the matter again on Nov 27.The woman patient was rushed to the KDMC-run Rukminibai Hospital by her family after suffering a suspected paralytic stroke. She was unable to receive timely treatment due to lack of facilities at the hospital, and doctors referred her to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Municipal (CSMM) Hospital in Kalwa. The family alleged they waited five hours for an ambulance, which the hospital failed to provide, after which they arranged a private ambulance. However, she died while waiting and before she could be transferred to the Kalwa hospital.Earlier, the commission took cognizance of the incident and issued a notice to the KDMC along with others, but didn’t get any reply from the civic authority. However, KDMC advocate informed the commission that an affidavit had already been drafted and was pending affirmation before the concerned officer of the KDMC, after which it will be submitted to the commission.The response angered the commission, which said, “It seems to us that the KDMC is treating this Commission in the same way it has allegedly treated the female patient causing her death.”It further added, “Non-swearing of the affidavit of the concerned officer of the said Municipal Corporation depicts the carelessness on part of the Kalyan Dombivili Municipal Corporation in responding to the urgent issues, of which cognisance is taken by this Commission.”
