Mumbai Human Rights Commission Summons MCGM Health Officials

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has summoned senior MCGM health officials to appear before the Commission on August 27. The summons were issued after the Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Public Health) and the Chief Medical Superintendent, Peripheral Hospitals, MCGM, failed to appear before the Commission to submit details concerning the policies, rules and regulations governing the maintenance of Medico-Legal Case (MLC) Musters in hospitals run and managed by the MCGM.

The Commission has sought details of the policies, rules and regulations governing the maintenance of MLC Musters at hospitals run and managed by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), following a complaint alleging that patients involved in medico-legal cases were being referred elsewhere for registration. The complaint was filed by Sinhal Ganvir and was based on news reports alleging that certain civic hospitals, particularly M. W. Desai Municipal General Hospital, Malad (East), were not maintaining MLC registers.

According to the complaint, patients approaching such hospitals were allegedly referred to other facilities when doctors determined that their cases were medico-legal in nature. It was further alleged that, in some instances, the police were not informed through an MLC report. The complaint claimed that the absence of an MLC register at M. W. Desai Hospital resulted in patients being sent to other hospitals merely for MLC registration, causing them unnecessary inconvenience.

The issue was also alleged to exist in several smaller civic hospitals and to have continued for years. However, Dr Jairaj S. Acharya, Senior Medical Officer, submitted an undated report of the Chief Medical Officer of M. W. Desai Municipal General Hospital, which stated that the hospital was now maintaining an MLC Muster and that its doctors were examining and treating medico-legal cases. Between October 2025 and March 2026, the hospital recorded 208 MLC patients.

The Commission's order records that Dr Acharya explained that, before October 2025, the hospital had not maintained an MLC Muster because of the understanding that only hospitals having casualty wards were required to maintain such records. Following the issue being raised, the hospital began maintaining the muster and providing treatment to medico-legal cases.

The Commission was also informed that the hospital had sensitised its staff about medico-legal responsibilities, patient rights and ethical obligations. According to the submissions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling MLC cases have been drafted.

The summons issued by the Commission come with a strict warning that if the two officials fail to appear before the Commission on the next date of hearing, the Commission will be constrained to take legal action against them. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 27.

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission's actions are a significant step towards ensuring that civic hospitals in Mumbai maintain proper records of medico-legal cases and provide adequate treatment to patients. The Commission's intervention is expected to bring about a positive change in the way MLC cases are handled in civic hospitals.

The issue of MLC registration has been a long-standing problem in Mumbai's civic hospitals, with patients often being referred to other facilities for registration. The Commission's order is a welcome move towards addressing this issue and ensuring that patients receive proper treatment and care.

In conclusion, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission's summons to MCGM health officials is a significant development in the case of MLC registration in civic hospitals. The Commission's actions are expected to bring about a positive change in the way MLC cases are handled in civic hospitals, and ensure that patients receive proper treatment and care.