NHRC takes suo motu notice of 24 maternal deaths over seven months in Ghaziabad

The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report that 24 women died during pregnancy treatment or childbirth at government and private hospitals in Ghaziabad district, Uttar Pradesh, between April and October 2026. According to the report, Rajapur recorded the highest number of deaths (8), followed by Loni and Bhojpur (5 each), and more than 3,000 pregnant women in the district had been identified as high-risk cases. The reported causes of death included excessive bleeding (10 cases), severe infection (3), hypertension (3), and other conditions such as anaemia, heart attack, tuberculosis and a brain tumour (8).

Acting under its power to take up matters on its own motion under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, without waiting for a formal complaint from a victim or relative, the Commission issued notices to the Principal Secretary, Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Uttar Pradesh, and to the District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, seeking detailed reports within two weeks on the circumstances of the deaths and the care given to the high-risk pregnancies identified in the district. It observed that the reported facts, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights, and that it would examine the matter further once the reports are received.