Blame encephalitis, not lack of oxygen, says Adityanath govt
Minister admits supply was cut
GORAKHPUR/LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government suspended on Saturday the principal of Gorakhpur medical college, where 23 infants died in 24 hours, but denied that a snag in oxygen supply caused the deaths that shocked India and triggered a political blame-game.
State health minister Siddharth Nath Singh said oxygen supply was disrupted at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur for two hours on Thursday night, but ruled it out as the reason for the tragedy.
“We studied various aspects of the deaths… the deaths were due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), infection and liver failure,” Singh said.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath – who represented the eastern UP city for almost two decades in Parliament — echoed Singh and also blamed a lack of cleanliness and hygiene. Later, he announced a probe by the state chief secretary into the role of the hospital’s sole oxygen vendor, who cut off supplies over dues.
Singh said piped oxygen reserves ran low at 7.30 pm on Thursday, replenished by cylinders, and the hospital completely lost supply between 11.30 pm and 1.30 am on Friday.
“Only seven deaths were reported between 7.30 pm and 10.05 pm, when there was short supply of oxygen,” he said.
Six more children died at the hospital on Saturday, sources said.