Mumbai: Bombay High Court on Monday warned the Maharashtra government from decisive action if there were more deaths of children because of malnutrition in the country’s belt.
The Division of Division Division Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni heard litigation of the public interest submitted in 2007, highlighting the high number of children’s deaths, pregnant women and nursing mothers in the Malnutrition region.
The request also raises concerns over the lack of gynecologist, pediatricians and radiologists at the regional health center.
The applicant informed HC’s bench on Monday that in the past year, 73 children died in this area due to malnutrition.
Advocate Neha Bhide, appeared for the Maharashtra government, told the court that all steps were taken to overcome this problem.
For this, the court said, “If the machine (government) is very well equipped, then why is there 73 children’s death incidents due to malnutrition.” Noting that this is a serious problem, the bench directs the state government to submit the details of how many children have died due to malnutrition in the state tribal belt from April 2020 to July 2021, and details about doctors sent to public health centers in the area .
“If on the next hearing date we are told that there are more children’s deaths due to malnutrition, we will hold the main Secretary of the State Public Health Department responsible.
Secretary of the Public Health Department must rise to the occasion,” said the court.
“We put the Secretary of the Head of the Public Health Department on the Guard.
If on September 6 (the next hearing date), we heard that there are more deaths, we will take very hard views and actions,” added the court.
The court also directed the United States to submit a written statement, stating how much funds had been approved to the state government to overcome the problem of malnutrition and how the center monitors the situation.
The court will hear this problem on September 6.