NHRC Seeks All Medical Records On Pregnant Woman’s Death In Odisha’s Rayagada

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a fresh direction to the superintendent of police (SP) of Odisha’s Rayagada to submit all medical records related to a pregnant woman who died two days after her release from jail custody following child birth.

The direction was issued after the NHRC considered the report submitted by the Rayagada SP in pursuance of an order issued earlier. In its fresh order on Monday, the Commission directed him to submit all medical treatment records of the deceased Sulabati Naik including the report of the doctor at the time of remand and the postmortem report within four weeks, sources said.

The Commission posted the matter to November 2 for further consideration of the complaint while expecting the medical records to be submitted within four weeks.

The rights panel had initially sought a report from the Rayagada SP on a complaint which alleged that the 32-year-old woman from Paikaikupakhal in Andirakanj area had died due to medical negligence during her 15 days in custody. The complaint was filed by an advocate and human rights activist.

According to police report, Sulabati and 12 other women were arrested in connection with a road blockade agitation on December 26, 2022 and forwarded to court. However, neither the police nor the medical officer could detect that she was pregnant. The undertrial prisoners were physically released on bail on January 10, 2023.

Sulabati was admitted to the district headquarters hospital at Rayagada as she experienced labour pain the same day. She gave birth to a male child the next day. After delivery, she was transferred to the SLN Medical College and Hospital in Koraput to receive health care of critical care facilities.
The woman had acute renal failure with severe hypertension and died in the hospital on January 12.