COVID-19: Bombay HC asks BMC for details on maternity homes, clinics

The Bombay High Court directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to file an affidavit furnishing details of maternity homes and clinics that were attending to pregnant women amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Amjad Sayed on Friday was hearing a petition filed by one Mohiuddin Vaid raising concerns over an incident at state-run J J Hospital where a pregnant woman was denied admission, as she did not have a report certifying her as COVID-19 negative.

The petitioner sought directions to the government and civic bodies to put in place appropriate measures for pregnant women during the pandemic. However, the state government, in its affidavit, claimed that no such incident was reported at J J Hospital. BMC counsel Anil Sakhare told the court that a number of maternity homes and clinics in the city were catering to pregnant women.

The court then directed the civic body to file an affidavit with names and particulars of maternity homes and clinics in the city that were attending to pregnant women. The state's affidavit should also mention the number of deliveries that had taken place at these maternity homes and clinics over the past couple of weeks, the bench said. The matter was posted for further hearing on May 22.