HT CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT, Oct 30: The state health department has initiated efforts to verify the identities of the parents of 15 newborns who died at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) in Jorhat  in 2018  in order to comply with the directive of the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) to pay Rs one lakh compensation to them.
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According to sources in the health department, the joint director of Jorhat district health services in a letter sent earlier this month to the sub-divisional medical and health officers in charge of various block primary health centres and primary health centres in the district, had directed to verify the identities of the parents of the 15 deceased newborns as per the list provided by JMCH authorities through the district administration.
The joint director mentioned in the letter to treat the matter as ‘most urgent’. His action comes in the wake of a letter received by him from the additional district commissioner (health), Jorhat earlier this month asking him to undertake verification of parents of the 15 deceased newborns during the said period.
The letter by the ADC was issued after the principal-cum-chief superintendent, in a letter to the Jorhat district commissioner requested the DC to get the verification of the identities of the parents of the 15 newborn babies done for paying compensation of Rs one lakh each to the parents for complying with NHRC direction in this regard.
The JMCH principal mentioned in the letter that the addresses of the parents available in the hospital records were five years old and hence, the verification of the identities of the parents of the deceased newborns be kindly arranged.
The principal’s letter also stated that he had received a letter from the secretary in this regard.
When contacted, joint director of Jorhat district health services, Â Shashidhar Phukan told this newspaper that the process of verification of parents of the deceased newborns was underway with PHCs and BPHCs carrying out the verification in their respective areas.
It may be mentioned here that during November 1 to 6, 2018, there were 15 newborn deaths in JMCH following which there was an uproar leading to several top-level officials of the health department from Dispur rushing to the institute to take stock of the situation.
