HC: Set up helpline for pregnant women

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Delhi government to ensure that the helpline number for assisting senior citizens in the capital during the lockdown shall also be made available to pregnant women. “The helpline number shall be publicised adequately,” the court said.

The Delhi high court has asked the Centre and the AAP government to work in tandem to ensure that pregnant women and their family members in coronavirus hotspots face no barrier during the lockdown.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, directed the Delhi government to ensure that the helpline number proposed to be set up within two days for assisting senior citizens during the pandemic are also made available for pregnant women.

The court said that the helpline number shall be publicised adequately in newspapers and the social media as also through the Delhi police, wherever possible.

In its order, the court said, “Union of India and government of national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi shall work in tandem to make sure that no barriers are faced by pregnant ladies and their family members residing in hot spots during the lockdown.”

The court passed the order while disposing a petition by charitable trust SAMA – Resource Group For Women and Health, claiming denial of healthcare and delivery or child birth services to pregnant women in Delhi and the barriers faced by them and their families in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown declared by the Central and state governments.

The court noted that the guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs for enabling delivery of essential health services during the pandemic, which include care during pregnancy and child birth, besides prevention and management of communicable diseases, treatment of chronic diseases to avoid complications, and for addressing other emergencies.