Orissa HC Orders Probe Into 2015 Woman-Child Death

Cuttack: Seven years after a woman lost her baby due to intrauterine death and herself died while receiving treatment, the Orissa High Court has ordered an inquiry into it by the State Commission for Women, Odisha (SCWO).

The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice RK Pattanaik issued the order on Tuesday on the petition filed by Sambara Sabar, father-in-law of Martha Sabar of Deopur in Gajapati district on June 30, 2015, five days after she died due to alleged medical negligence after being admitted to the Daarabhangha primary health centre.

He had sought the constitution of a Maternal Death Review Board for effective implementation of the Janani Surakshya Yojana.

The court ordered the inquiry to obtain an objective assessment of the materials on record. “The SCWO will constitute an appropriate enquiry team to examine the papers and also visit and record statements of the Petitioner and his family members, the concerned treating doctors, the place of treatment, the medical case record and make an assessment as to the veracity of the claims of either party on the basis of the materials gathered. The SCWO can also take the assistance of a qualified medical professional for making its assessment.”

The SCWO has been asked to submit the report by July 1.