The Gujarat High Court has stayed an order issued by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) directing two doctors to pay compensation in connection with the death of a newborn during a high-risk pregnancy.
The SHRC had earlier held the doctors responsible for medical negligence and ordered them to pay ₹2.5 lakh compensation to the family of the deceased infant. The commission had also instructed the state authorities to recover the amount from the doctors’ salaries.
However, the Gujarat High Court granted interim relief to the doctors and stayed the implementation of the SHRC order while hearing their petition challenging the decision.
The case originates from a May 2024 incident at a government hospital in Idar in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district.
According to the complaint, a pregnant woman with a high-risk pregnancy was admitted to the hospital for treatment. During the course of treatment and delivery, the newborn infant died.
Following the death, the child’s father alleged that the doctors had failed to provide appropriate medical care and had not taken timely decisions that could have prevented the tragedy.
He subsequently filed representations with several authorities seeking action against the doctors.
The father eventually approached the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission, alleging that negligence by the treating doctors had resulted in the infant’s death.
During its inquiry, the commission examined the complaint and reviewed the circumstances surrounding the treatment provided at the hospital.
A departmental inquiry conducted in the case reportedly observed that the patient had a high-risk pregnancy and should have been referred to the district hospital in Himmatnagar earlier for specialized care.
After reviewing the case, the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission issued an order in November 2025.
The commission directed the two government doctors to jointly pay ₹2.5 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased infant.
It also directed the state authorities to recover the compensation amount from the doctors’ salaries.
The order effectively held the doctors accountable for negligence in managing the high-risk pregnancy case.
The doctors later challenged the SHRC order before the Gujarat High Court, arguing that the commission’s decision and directions were not justified.
After hearing the petition, the High Court granted an interim stay on the SHRC order, providing temporary relief to the doctors and preventing enforcement of the compensation directive.
The court will now examine the case in detail before delivering its final decision.
The High Court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for March 30, 2026.
The upcoming proceedings will determine whether the SHRC’s findings and compensation order should be upheld, modified, or set aside.
The case highlights the legal complexities surrounding allegations of medical negligence and the role of courts in reviewing decisions issued by statutory commissions.
(Rh/ARC)