Blame disease, not lack of oxygen: UP govt
PRINCIPAL SUSPENDED Minister admits supply was cut, CM orders probe as 9 more kids die
GORAKHPUR/LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday suspended the principal of BRD 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 is representing the eastern UP city since 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. Yogi also urged the media to portray the correct picture about the deaths. 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.
Meanwhile, nine more children died at the hospital on Satur- day, sources said.
But Singh pointed out that 20-22 deaths a day was normal for a hospital where thousands poured in from far-flung areas of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar — regions ravaged by the mosquitoborne Japanese Encephalitis that affects the brain.
But opposition parties were unimpressed, and pointed out that the hospital had defaulted on payments of Rs 68 lakh to oxygen suppliers over several months. Even a warning by the oxygen pipeline operators on Thursday morning of low reserves was ignored. Sources said no postmortem examinations were conducted before burying the dead children.
I interacted with the BRD Medical College officials for three hours but none of them brought to my notice the issue of delay in payment to the oxygen supplier. My government had given standing instructions at all levels that all files should be cleared in three days. YOGI ADITYANATH, chief minister
“The government is squarely responsible for the death of all the children,” said former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati demanded a probe and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad – who visited the hospital on Saturday – demanded Singh and Adityanath resign.
Opposition parties also pointed out that Adityanath had visited the college – including the 100-bed encephalitis ward – on August 9 but the state government said he wasn’t aware of the payment problems.
In Gorakhpur, anger and dismay ran high as local residents and families of victims demanded an inquiry and alleged negligence at the hospital.
“How could the hospital administration be callous to our suffering when Adityanath represents this constituency?” asked Bhagwati Yadav whose sevenyear-old daughter is battling for her life in the encephalitis ward.
Oxygen supply was restored to the hospital on Saturday night after the government partially paid its dues to a Lucknow-based company. The company, Pushpa Sales, had issued an ultimatum to hospital authorities on August 8, warning that supplies may be hampered if its dues were not cleared.
“Whosoever is found guilty in the tragic and painful incident will certainly face stringent action,” deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya told reporters.
The incident reverberated in Delhi as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was monitoring the situation in Gorakhpur and he was in touch with central and state government officials, the prime minister’s office tweeted
Minister of state (health) Anupriya Patel and secretary (health) CK Mishra, along with a team of doctors, are a part of the Union health ministry delegation that left for Gorakhpur on Saturday. Union health minister JP Nadda has sought a report from the state health department into the matter.