The Calcutta High Court has directed the Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare as well as the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, to file a comprehensive affidavit about the physical and mental health condition of children in all Child Protection homes in West Bengal.
The Division Bench of Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Soumen Sen was yesterday hearing a Suo Motu petition regarding the contagion of COVID-19 in Child Protection Homes.
All the matters were scheduled to appear on June 18, 2021 in terms of earlier order dated March 25, 2021 in view of the communication dated June 2, 2021 from the Additional District and Sessions Judge, 1st Court, Uluberia, Howrah to the Registrar and Secretary of the Juvenile Justice Committee, the High Court directed the registry to list this matter on June 4 upon notice to the Advocate General and the other stakeholders.
On Friday, pursuant to the notice, the Advocate General was assisted by Advocate Sayan Sinha. Sanghamitra Ghosh, Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare; Dr Kajal Kumar Mandal, official of Department of Health and Family Welfare, and Nilanjana Dasgupta, Director of Child Rights and Trafficking Directorate, were present before the Court.
The Bench directed the Advocate General to look into the matter of the unfortunate death of a child in CNCP at the Uluberia Sub-divisional hospital due to COVID infection and file an affidavit disclosing the care received by the child from the Itinda Community Development Society and the treatment received by the child at the Uluberia Sub-divisional Hospital.
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“We direct the Principal Secretary, Department of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare as well as the Principal Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, to file a comprehensive affidavit about the physical and mental health condition of children in all homes in the State of West Bengal, irrespective of Government or Non-Government home and the medical facilities extended to each of the homes, on or before June 16, 2021”, the order read.
Source: ILNS