NHRC notice on 53 Sidhi maternal deaths exposes MP health crisis: Singhar
Synopsis
One district. 53 dead mothers in 12 months. Average age 26. The NHRC has now stepped in where the Madhya Pradesh Assembly's questions went unanswered — and Sidhi's collapse, from missing doctors to women carried on cots through monsoon villages, is no longer deniable as an isolated lapse.
Key Takeaways
The NHRC issued a suo motu notice to the Madhya Pradesh government over 53 maternal deaths in Sidhi between April 2025 and March 2026 .
Chief Secretary Anurag Jain must submit a detailed report within two weeks .
Sidhi has consistently ranked in the bottom three districts of the state's Community Maternal Health League .
Average age of the deceased was 26 ; most were expecting their first or second child.
LoP Umang Singhar has demanded a state-wide review of maternal health, ambulance, and rural infrastructure systems.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) notice to the Madhya Pradesh government over 53 maternal deaths in Sidhi district confirms the ‘extreme gravity' of the healthcare crisis and demands an impartial investigation, Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said on 3 June. The Congress leader argued that the Commission's intervention vindicates his repeated warnings in the state Assembly about collapsing rural health infrastructure.
What the NHRC flagged
The Commission took suo motu cognisance on Tuesday of reports that 53 pregnant women died during antenatal and postnatal periods between April 2025 and March 2026 in Sidhi. It cited lack of awareness and medical facilities as the primary causes, noting that Sidhi has consistently ranked among the bottom three districts in the Community Maternal Health League run by the State Health Department.
A notice has been issued to Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
Infrastructure deficit on the ground
The NHRC pointed to severe shortages of doctors and technical experts at community health centres, primary health centres, and the district hospital. Patients are routinely referred to neighbouring Rewa district for advanced care, exposing them to life-threatening risks in transit.
According to reports flagged by the Commission, the average age of the deceased was 26, with most women expecting their first or second child. Several Sidhi villages lack road connectivity, and during monsoon, pregnant women are reportedly carried on cots for two to three kilometres before reaching an ambulance.
What the Opposition said
Singhar said the state government had earlier tried to evade questions on Sidhi's doctor shortage, ambulance crisis, and maternal deaths when he first raised them on the Assembly floor.
‘Today, the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission serves as proof that this matter is of extreme gravity and necessitates an impartial investigation,' Singhar said.
He framed the deaths as systemic, not statistical. ‘The deaths of 53 mothers represent more than just a statistic; they tell a story of systemic failure within the healthcare system, administrative negligence, and the anguish of families who have lost the daughters and daughters-in-law of their households,' he added.
The demand on the table
The LoP has called for a high-level, state-wide review covering maternal health services, institutional delivery mechanisms, doctor availability, ambulance networks, and rural health infrastructure — to pre-empt similar tragedies in other Madhya Pradesh districts.
The Chief Secretary's response to the NHRC, due within a fortnight, will be the first test of how the state government accounts for a year in which one of its districts lost a pregnant woman on average every week.
Point of View
Which means the system saw this coming and did not move. The deeper failure is structural: villages without roads, health centres without doctors, and referrals to Rewa that become death sentences in transit. The NHRC notice is welcome, but two-week reports rarely change ground reality unless tied to named accountability and a recurring audit — neither of which is yet on the table.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the NHRC issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government?
The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of reports that 53 pregnant women died in Sidhi district between April 2025 and March 2026 during antenatal and postnatal periods. It has sought a detailed report from Chief Secretary Anurag Jain within two weeks.
What were the main causes cited for the Sidhi maternal deaths?
The NHRC cited a lack of awareness and inadequate medical facilities as the primary causes. It also flagged severe shortages of doctors and technical staff at community health centres, primary health centres, and the district hospital, forcing risky referrals to Rewa district.
What has Umang Singhar demanded?
Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar has demanded an impartial investigation and a high-level state-wide review of maternal health services, institutional delivery mechanisms, doctor availability, ambulance networks, and rural health infrastructure across Madhya Pradesh.
What is the Community Maternal Health League?
It is an initiative organised by the Madhya Pradesh State Health Department to track and benchmark maternal health outcomes across districts. Sidhi has consistently ranked among the bottom three districts in this league.
Who were the women who died in Sidhi?
According to reports flagged by the NHRC, the average age of the deceased was 26, and most were expecting their first or second child. Many lived in villages without proper road connectivity, where pregnant women are reportedly carried on cots for two to three kilometres before reaching an ambulance.
