Tribal activist raises questions about Palghar's 'poor health infra' as pregnant woman dies

Rekha Potinda, 36, the deceased; her husband (right) Salim was not in a condition to talk

Poor health infrastructure in the Palghar district claimed another life on Sunday, alleged a tribal activist. A nine-month pregnant tribal woman developed severe labour pain on Saturday afternoon and was forced to travel to three different medical institutions, even as she was bleeding, before breathing her last in the wee hours of Sunday. A resident of Kayri village in Palghar's Jawhar taluka, Rekha Potinda, 36, died at Nashik Civil Hospital, 150 km away from her home. She is survived by her husband Salim Potinda, and their children - three sons and a daughter.

"Her neighbours had called an ambulance and she was rushed to the Primary Health Centre at Sakharshet, about 10 to 12 km from Kayri village," said Sita Ghatal of Shranjeevi Sangathana, a social group working for the welfare of tribals in Maharashtra. "After three hours at the PHC, she was referred to sub-district hospital in Jawhar, where the doctors couldn't handle the pregnancy-related complications and referred her to Nashik Civil Hospital [150 km away from her village], where she died around 1.15 am on Sunday," Ghatal told mid-day. Her husband was at work at the time.

Rekha's cousin Vishal Mangesh Dabre, who had taken Rekha to Nashik, said, "The approx date of her delivery was November 3, but she developed complications and died." "The condition of the road from Jawhar to Nashik Civil Hospital is extremely pathetic. She bled throughout the journey. We reached Nashik around 8 pm and the doctors tried their best to revive her, but she could not survive and her baby died in the womb."

‘6 deaths in past month'

In the recent past, many residents, including pregnant women and children, of the tribal hamlets have died because of poor health infrastructure in the Palghar district. "At least 5-6 pregnant tribal women have died due to complications related to pregnancy in the past one month. Also, there are many unreported cases," said Vivek Pandit, the chairperson of Tribal Development Review Committee of Maharashtra government.

Sources told mid-day that Jawhar's sub-district hospital has multiple vacancies. "And those who were hired do not report to work. They run their own clinics and hospitals which poor tribals cannot afford," said a source. Pandit told mid-day, "Even after strict stricture and orders passed by the high court repeatedly, government is not ready to take cognisance of the vacant posts and poor infrastructure of the health department."

Family and neighbours carry her body home on Sunday. Pics/Hanif Patel

"There is no facility at the health centres to handle complicated deliveries, and no doctor is available round the clock. The sub-district hospital neither has facilities for a surgery, not for anaesthesia, x-ray, sonography, etc," he said. "Not a single radiologist is available in the district. Above all, there is no civil hospital in Palghar district, and that is why Rekha was referred to Nashik," Pandit added.

‘A gateway to death'

"Any patient who goes to a sub-district hospital in Jawhar is always referred for death to Civil hospital in Nashik. So, Jawhar hospital is a gateway to death. This is the actual face of health infrastructure in the tribal belt, but the government won't take cognisance," Pandit said. "Her family members couldn't bring back the body as they are very poor. The chief executive officer of Zilla Parishad had to send an ambulance to get the body from Nashik to Kayri village. This is the situation of free India," he said.

"Tribal children, too, are dying. The state government has filed an affidavit in the high court stating that the traditions of the tribals amount to such deaths. This is shameless. The government is not accepting their fault in the HC. But the HC passed a stricture saying ‘you are accountable for each and every death'," he said.

Zilla Parishad CEO Siddharam Salimath said, "The woman was referred to the sub-district hospital in Jawhar, because the PHC is only meant for routine health check-ups. The sub-district hospital falls under the collector's jurisdiction." Palghar District Health Officer Dr Dayanand Suryavashi said, "We can't say that there's poor health infrastructure in Palghar. Sub centres are meant only for providing basic health care, routine check, normal delivery, etc."

Pandit said a land has been allotted for a Civil Hospital in Palghar, but "after nine years of approval, not a single brick has been laid down yet." Dr Suryavanshi, however, told mid-day, "The land has been sanctioned and given by CIDCO, and the compound walls are in the final stage." Palghar district Collector Manikrao Gursal did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages.