Haryana Human Rights Commission takes suo motu notice of newborn’s death over alleged ventilator unavailability
Panel seeks detailed reports from six authorities after newspaper reports alleged the infant was shuttled between three hospitals over 24 hours before dying
NewsArc Bureau, Chandigarh
The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports concerning the death of a newborn, allegedly on account of the non-availability of ventilator support across three Government hospitals in the state.
The Commission’s order, passed by a bench headed by Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra along with Member (Judicial) Kuldip Jain and Member Deep Bhatia, took note of two newspaper reports published on July 3 and July 4, 2026, which flagged serious deficiencies in emergency neonatal healthcare delivery, including repeated referrals between hospitals and an apparent lack of coordination among medical institutions.
WHAT THE REPORTS ALLEGE
According to the newspaper accounts referenced in the order, a woman delivered a baby via Caesarean section at Civil Hospital, Hisar. Within roughly an hour, the newborn reportedly developed severe respiratory distress requiring immediate ventilator support in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The hospital’s only neonatal ventilator was already occupied, leading to the infant’s referral to Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha.
At Agroha, the family was allegedly told that neonatal ventilator support was unavailable there too, and the newborn was referred onward to Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak. There, the family was reportedly informed that all ventilators were occupied. The parents then returned to Hisar and admitted the child to a private hospital, where the newborn was declared dead.
The infant’s father has alleged that he spent nearly 24 hours travelling between Government hospitals searching for life-saving treatment, and that complaints have since been filed seeking action against officials held responsible for the lapses. The Haryana Health Department has reportedly ordered a preliminary inquiry, with the matter referred to the District Medical Negligence Board, Hisar, for detailed examination.
VENTILATORS LYING UNUSED, COMMISSION NOTES
The Commission’s order flagged what it called “disturbing” figures from the newspaper reports: while Civil Hospital, Hisar, reportedly had close to 40 ventilators in total, around 25 were said to be lying unused in storage and approximately 13 were non-functional due to technical defects, with several units supplied during the COVID-19 pandemic among those left unmaintained. A proposal for an additional neonatal ventilator had reportedly been submitted to authorities but remained unsanctioned.
The order also noted that ventilator availability at neighbouring Government hospitals was allegedly not verified before the newborn was referred over long distances — a lapse the Commission said, if substantiated, would point to systemic deficiencies in referral planning and resource coordination.
CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL DIMENSIONS
The Commission observed that the allegations, if established, raise concerns under Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life, and Article 47, which places an obligation on the State to improve public health. It cited the Supreme Court’s rulings in Parmanand Katara v. Union of India (1989) and Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal (1996), both of which held that administrative or infrastructural shortcomings cannot excuse a failure to provide timely emergency medical treatment. The order also referenced India’s obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
REPORTS SOUGHT FROM SIX AUTHORITIES
The Commission has directed the following authorities to submit detailed reports at least a week before the next hearing:
- Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, Haryana
- Director General, Health Services, Haryana
- Director, Pt. B.D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak
- Director, Maharaja Agrasen Medical College, Agroha
- Civil Surgeon, Hisar
- District Medical Negligence Board, Hisar
The reports sought include the chronology of the newborn’s treatment and referral, ventilator availability and functional status at each hospital, whether inter-hospital communication was undertaken before referral, and action taken against responsible officials, if any.
The matter has been adjourned to September 1, 2026.
