BALLABHGARH, MAY 29 — The Haryana Human Rights Commission has initiated formal proceedings following reports that a pregnant woman was forced to give birth in the open outside a government health facility in Faridabad, raising questions about local emergency medical services.
The incident took place during the overnight hours of May 15 and 16 outside the Government Primary Health Centre in Sector 3, Ballabhgarh. According to documentation submitted to the panel, the woman reached the medical center while experiencing active labor but found the main gates locked. The complete absence of immediate nursing staff, on-duty physicians, or emergency personnel forced attendants to manage the delivery under torchlight in a public space before a wheelchair could be secured.
HHRC Chairperson Justice Lalit Batra stepped in after reviewing media coverage and direct complaints, terming the circumstances surrounding the delivery deeply troubling and contrary to human dignity. The statutory body observed that the failure to provide access to an institutional delivery directly threatens the fundamental rights to life, healthcare, and emergency medical assistance.
“The initial photographic evidence and local statements present a deeply disturbing scenario,” Justice Batra declared in the commission’s official filing. “If these allegations are validated, this case represents a severe systemic failure that directly compromises the rights guaranteed under our legal framework.”
The panel noted that the situation points to an apparent lapse in the execution of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram. The central welfare program explicitly guarantees free, secure, and fully institutionalized delivery services for all pregnant women arriving at public health institutions across the state.
The rights commission has directed top health officials to explain the operational lapses and address the denial of maternal benefits. The Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, the Director General of Health Services, and the Faridabad Civil Surgeon must file exhaustive reports. The panel ordered all respondents to submit their explanations and justify why financial compensation should not be awarded before the formal review opens on August 19, 2026.
