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Death of eight newborns in a fortnight: NHRC seeks ATR

Acting on a petition filed by activist Akhand, the apex rights panel directed the authorities concerned to submit the ATR within four weeks.

Death of eight newborns in a fortnight: NHRC seeks ATR

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the State’s chief secretary and health and family welfare department secretary to furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the death of eight newborn kids in Borigumma block of Odisha’s Koraput district.

Acting on a petition filed by activist Akhand, the apex rights panel directed the authorities concerned to submit the ATR within four weeks.

“Due to lack of medical infrastructure provided to the tribal people, as many as eight newborn babies died within a period of two weeks in different villages of the tribal pockets”, the petitioner alleged.

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The death of eight infants was reported earlier this month in Borigumma block. The far-flung Rengalguda, Nuaguda and Katharguda tribal villages accounted for the kids fatalities in a fortnight period. The local health authorities had inspected the villages. However, they are yet to make public the nature and the exact cause of the death, the petition added.

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