New Delhi: The All India Democratic Women’s Association on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the National Human Rights Commission chairperson on the situation in the Kanpur girls’ shelter home where 57 children have been found to be COVID-19 positive, seven of them pregnant, and one each infected with HIC and Hepatitis C. The shelter home is run by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The memorandum takes note of the notice issued suo motu by NHRC to Uttar Pradesh DGP and chief secretary regarding the blithe disregard for children’s health and wellbeing at the Rajkiya Bal Sanrakshan Griha, Kanpur.
It was submitted by AIDWA vice-president Subhashini Ali, Kanpur District Committee president Neelam Tiwari and the district committee’s secretary Sudha Singh.
Also read: Kanpur: 57 Girls at Children’s Shelter Home Test COVID-19 Positive, 5 of Them Pregnant
A press release issued by AIDWA notes that members met with senior superintendent of police Dinesh Kumar and requested a serious investigation into the running of the home, with special attention to ensure that evidence was not tampered with by the home’s management. The association also met the Commissioner of the Kanpur Division, Dr. Sudhir M. Bobde, whom they asked to ascertain whether the pregnant girls had been told that they had the legal right to demand an abortion and whether they had been receiving regular check-ups.
There are several issues, said the members, pertaining to the matter, which point to the “extreme neglect of the state government.”
Key among the problems is the fact that coupled with overall neglect in quarantining the COVID-19 patients, the home has been glib in managing the futures of minor girls who have been POCSO victims, many of whom have given birth. The statement points to the particular and appalling neglect shown towards mentally-challenged girls and demands attention to both the particular situation and the general crisis at work in the home.
The highlighted issues are:
“1. On June 14, one inmate was found to be COVID-19 positive after five inmates were subjected to a ‘random’ test. (Here it must be mentioned that there are several versions of how the presence of the virus was discovered.) What is irrefutable – and this has been pointed out by Shuchita Chaturvedi, Member State Child Welfare Commission, yesterday during her visit to Kanpur – is that even after one child was found positive on June 14, the others were not quarantined. This is unforgivable.
2. The home is extremely over-crowded. It is supposed to accommodate about 100 minors but there are at least 171. There are only 9 toilets. In such a situation, especially when sanitary conditions leave much to be desired, it is not surprising that the virus spread in the way that it did.
3. Many young, mentally-challenged minors, several of them rape victims, are also lodged here. They have delivered babies and, we have been told, they are not able to look after them so they are looked after by the other inmates, some of whom are 10 and 12 years of age. It is shocking that these mentally challenged pregnant minors were not helped to access abortions. What is going to be the fate of their children and the mothers is beyond our imagination.
4. As far as the seven pregnant girls of whom five are COVID-19 positive are concerned, the reports of their being infected with HIV and Hepatitis C are now being denied.
It is a fact, however, that earlier reports had given this information. Even the Notice sent by your Commission to the UP officers mentions one inmate being HIV positive. Today’s Amar Ujala reports that after being found to be COVID-19 positive, they were sent to the Rama Medical College (Mandhana) where their being pregnant was established.
How is it that the Home Administration did not reveal this important fact? After this, they were shifted to the Maternity Hospital and here the Screening Test showed one to be HIV positive and the other to be Hepatitis C positive. Subsequently, their samples were sent to the Microbiology Lab of the Medical College and the results came negative for both. The point is that the administration of the home was not able to give any information regarding the health status of the pregnant girls which is strange since they should have been examined by a gynaecologist every month.”
