PIL On Lack Of Medical Care In Tribal Areas: Bombay High Court Asks State Officials To Visit Melghat And Assess Residents' Grievances

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday (November 25) asked officials of the tribal development, women and child development and the public health departments to visit Melghat area to assess various medical care and health issues faced by persons living therein and a sought a report on the same. 

A division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Sandesh Dadasaheb Patil was hearing a 2007 Public Interest Litigation regarding deaths of women and children due to lack of proper medical care in the tribal belt of Maharashtra including in the Melghat area. 

After the petitioners spelt out various issues faced by the residents of the area which includes lack of specialist doctors, the Principal Secretary of state government's Public Health Department Nipun Vinayak submitted that he as well as Principal Secretary Tribal Development, and Women and Child development department "will visit Melghat on December 5 to assess the situation and look into the grievances as spelt out in today's order as well as earlier orders". 

"He further states that both the petitioners will be informed of the visit so as to enable them to accompany them since the petitioners have been working in the said areas for several areas. Along with the said officer, we expect a senior officer not below the rank of deputy secretary PWD and deputy secretary finance to accompany Mr Vinayak and his team and other officers on December 5. We also expect the deputy secretary of water and sanitation department to accompany Mr Vinayak and the others considering there are several issues relating to the said department in the area...the project officer Melghat, Chief Executive Officer Amravati, Deputy Conservator of Forest and any other officer/personnel as maybe required to be present will accompany Mr Vinayak and his team so as to look into the issues so that the areas which need to be looked into will be looked into at the earliest. A report be submitted before the court on or before December 18," the court noted in its order. 

Meanwhile during the hearing the counsel for the petitioner Anup Gilda appearing in PIL 133/2007 submitted certain areas of concern which he said needs to be addressed expeditiously and on an urgent basis. The same are:

1. Appointment of specialist–i.e., physicians radiologists, paediatricians, gynaecologists and pathologists on regular basis

2. Increase of budgetary sanction by the public health department, women and child development vis-a-vis Melghat area

3. Immediate appointment of nurses (male/female) and class 3 and 4 employees in the public health department

4. Urgent supply of supplementary nutrition, raising of money from central and state governments

5. Supply of electricity to all primary health centres and sub centres across Melghat

6. Explore implementation of solar facilities in the area

7. Supply of quality food to children between age group 1-6 years regularly

8. Supply of quality food to pregnant mothers and lactating mothers

9. Compliance of previous orders 

Another petitioner submitted certain issues plaguing Amravati district. He submitted that there are many vacancies of surgeons, physicians in sub-district hospital in the Dharni area in the district. He submitted that 38 posts are vacant and there are more institutional deaths and hence appointment of paediatricians is required. He further said that about 35 children have expired and 22 still-born babies were born between April-October 2025. 

He submitted that there is no regular posting of any person at the blood bank and mobile vans are required for collecting blood from villages. He said that in the Chikhaldara block, the rural hospital therein has no pediatrician and gynaecologists and sonography is done once every week. He said that the facilities should be made available as the rural hospital is stated to cover 40 villages. 

He also said that funds are not allotted for Government Medical College, Amravati and pursuant to this super-speciality doctors were on strike in August 2025 and this needs to be looked into. 

He further submitted that Ambulance drivers in Amravati including Melghat area have been sanctioned salary of Rs. 17,758 but due to intervention of agencies they receive only about Rs. 12,000. 

At this stage Justice Mohite Dere said, "This is typically what happens when agencies are appointed...we have seen even appointment of people in our establishment when agencies are appointed they give people minimal...than what is require and they take away huge part. So you must insist that when you appoint agencies, the maximum benefit goes to the people...I have seen it personally and I had to seek intervention of the PWD". 

The petitioner further said that in Melghat area about 97 children have expired and 30 still-born babies and 3 maternal deaths from April-October. There are 16 Anganwadis in Dharni, 3 in Chikhaldara constructed in 1975 and same are in dilapidated condition and there is no budget allocated to cater to needs of more children at the Anganwadis. 

He also said that the labour facilities under the new labour laws which have come into force on November 21 should be immediately adopted. 

The matter is kept next month. 

Case title: DR. RAJENDRA SADANAND BURMA AND ANR. v/s STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND ORS. and batch

PIL/133/2007 and connected matters