Delay in health care services- A case study of Nasda Khatoon

Post Date: Thursday, February 2, 2017

Nasda Khatoon is a resident of Shakurpur Basti and the mother of two children, one boy of 4 years and one girl of 15 months. Her second delivery was a traumatic experience which shows the lack of safe and adequate health care for pregnant women.

Leading up to the pregnancy she herself had to pay for iron and folic acid tablets and for ultrasounds, all which should be provided by the state under their various schemes.

The case of Nasda comes to show the negligence by the state and a lack of providing adequate health care services; there is no ASHA worker present at Shakurpur Basti, Nasda was not provided either free IFA (iron and folic acid) supplementations or free ultrasound, she was unaware of the ambulance services (which violates her right to health information and education), there was no reimbursement for the transportation expenses, she was rejected at the hospital and there were no provision of care after birth. Furthermore, no JSY benefit was given.

The state has several legal obligations in the form of state law, international obligations and schemes that are there to ensure that the legal obligations are withheld. Article 14, 21 and 47 of the Indian constitution is especially relevant in this instance due to her right to health being violated. Furthermore, schemes such as JSY, JSSK, ASHA worker initiative and National ambulance services are there to secure adequate treatment. However, the lack of proper implementation of these schemes led to a degrading treatment of Nasda. The Indian state has international obligations. Article 51 of the Indian constitution ensures that the government respects its international reproductive rights obligations. Right to life and health are two fundamental human rights that are enshrined in international treaties and conventions but these rights were not withheld in the case of Nasda. The treatment of Nasda was not adequate in order to ensure that the legal obligations and schemes were followed.