Yogi asks media to portray correct picture of tragedy
CM SAYS Oxygen supplier appointed in 2014 during previous regime
LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday urged the media to portray the correct picture of deaths that took place at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College.
Announcing that a committee headed by chief secretary Rajive Kumar has been constituted to probe the role of supplier and causes of disruptions, if any, in oxygen supply, Yogi said the company supplying the oxygen was appointed in 2014, during the previous regime.
The probe committee had been asked to submit its report in a week.
The chief minister was speaking to media persons, along with minister for medical and health Siddharth Nath Singh, minister for medical education Ashutosh Tandon and union minister of state for health and family welfare Anupriya Patel.
Adityanath said he had sent two ministers to Gorakhpur to ascertain whether the deaths had taken place due to lack in supply of oxygen and the ministers had submitted their report.
The district magistrate’s report about magisterial inquiry on the issue was also expected soon, said the chief minister.
He also gave an account of deaths in Gorakhpur since August 7 and said different numbers had been reported in different sections of the media.
Adityanath claimed that it was he, as Gorakhpur MP, who had launched the fight against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in 1998 and had visited the BRD Medical College on July 9 and August 9 this year to review the preparations to tackle the surge of patients that generally rises during this month. The CM said he had interacted with the BRD Medical College officials for three hours and none of them brought to his notice the 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,” said the CM.
He also clarified that the company had written a letter to principal medical college on August 1. The principal, in turn, wrote to DG medical and health on August 4 and the money was released on August 5.
The company was, however, paid on August 11. He said medical college principal had left for Rishikesh on August 9 and came back only on Saturday morning.
“The principal has been suspended and further disciplinary action was being taken against him,” said the CM.
Adityanath also gave a detailed account of the JE immunisation programme launched by him in May and claimed that the steps taken by his government had begun showing results. He said the PM was concerned about deaths in Gorakhpur and has sent union minister of state Anupriya Patel to Gorakhpur.
Union health secretary has also reached Gorakhpur, he said.
Earlier, Singh gave a break up of deaths taking place per day to make his point that the number of deaths had not gone up in August this year. He said in all 577 deaths had taken place in August 2014, 668 in August 2015, 587 in August 2016 and 133 deaths in August 2017 up to now.