67 child deaths at UP’S BRD Hospital in 5 days

GORAKHPUR: Sixty-seven children, including 31 newborns, died at the 950-bed Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur in the first five days of November, adding to more than 1,300 child deaths at the hospital since August 1.

As many as 418 children died at the hospital in August, with the number increasing to 433 and 460 in September and October respectively.

Last year, the highest number of child deaths (601) was reported in September, followed by 599 in November and 586 in October.

Twelve of the 67 child deaths in November were on Sunday, with another 30 occurring in the neonatal ICU, paediatric ICU and encephalitis wards on Friday and Saturday.

Following the deaths, 20 more doctors have been appointed and baby-warmers, which are used to save premature and undernourished babies, have been increased from eight to 20. Work on building a 500-bed encephalitis ward, the foundation of which was laid by former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, has also begun.

Besides encephalitis, the leading causes of newborn and child deaths in the region are malnutrition, diarrhoea, pneumonia, infections, cardiovascular complications and metabolic conditions.

“Baba Raghav Das (BRD) is the only hospital to meet the medical requirements of 15 districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh, besides Bihar and Nepal, and by the time many people reach the hospital with their sick child from kilometres away, they are critically ill,” said Dr PK Singh, principal, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College.

“The number of deaths has come down in comparison to previous years as we are putting in our best efforts to save lives.

Due to increase in the number of doctors, shift duty has improved resulting in better care of ailing children,” he added.

Opposition parties, however, blamed the child deaths on the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) state government’s apathy. “It’s sad that our government is laid back and does not listen to the cries of the common man,” said Samajwadi Party spokesman Sunil Yadav.

418 CHILDREN DIED AT HOSPITAL IN AUGUST, WITH THE NUMBERS INCREASING TO 433 AND 460 IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER RESPECTIVELY