NHRC notice to Punjab Govt on denial of treatment to injured

New Delhi, Feb 19 (UNI) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Punjab Government, seeking a report within six weeks about alleged denial of treatment to an accident victim.

Taking cognisance of a media report about the incident, the Commission has directed the State Chief Secretary to look into the allegations and submit the action taken report.

According to the February 9 report, Amar Singh met with an accident at Chandigarh Railway Station while he was returning to his native place Sadhupur in Moradabad, UP.

''His leg sustained serious injuries and he needed hip operation but did not get any treatment in Government Hospitals in Sector 32 and 16 of Chandigarh, where he was admitted,'' it said.

Singh did not get any treatment in the Government Hospital, Sector 22 Chandigarh as well.

The report said the victim had been lying at a bus stop adjacent to the CBI office in Sector 30 since then, without any help.

It said despite having highest per capita income in the country, the public healthcare system in Punjab was in bad shape.

Quoting a study, the report said 39 per cent doctors and 44 per cent of medical staff were absent on any given day at Public Health Centers in the State.

''These centers lacked diagnostic facilities and medicines,'' it added.

The Punjab Government and the Chandigarh administration had not taken any initiative to implement the National Health Insurance Policy, where Below Poverty Line (BPL) families were given free insurance, the report said.

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