Guilty won’t be spared: CM at BRD hospital
Adityanath hits out at Opposition for politicising the issue
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday assured action against officials of Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College, where dozens of children suffering from Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) died since August 9.
A committee, constituted under the chairmanship of state chief secretary, and a central government team inquiring into the cause of deaths will submit their reports soon, he said. “Let the reports come. I assure you, if anyone’s negligence caused the death of a person, in any part of UP, he won’t be spared.”
The UP government had on Saturday suspended the college principal and denied that a cut in liquid oxygen supply by a private firm over delay in payments caused the deaths.
Addressing a press conference with Union health minister JP Nadda, Adityanath said the issue of non-payment of arrears to the oxygen supplier company was not brought to his notice.
“The principal told me the funds for payment of arrears was credited in the medical college’s account on August 7. The inquiry committee will find out the (reason for) delay in the release to the supplier,” said the chief minister.
Encephalitis has killed over 50,000 children in eastern UP in the last three decades.
Nearly 3,000 have died in BRD Medical College hospital alone since 2012.
“I have seen children infected with JE/AES dying. I launched a movement on the issue on the
I have seen children infected with JE/AES dying. I launched a movement on the issue on the streets of Gorakhpur. YOGI ADITYANATH, chief minister
streets of Gorakhpur,” said the chief minister who turned emotional. He added that after he raised the issue in Lok Sabha, the central government introduced various facilities in the medical college.
“There is a need to launch a massive drive for the eradication of the killer disease,” he stressed, reminding of the vaccination drive undertaken in March.
The chief minister hit out at the opposition for politicising the death of children, and accused Congress leaders of being insensitive about the deaths.
Lashing out at media, Yogi said instead of doing fake reporting from outside the hospital and without knowing the facts they should bring the real facts before the people. The media persons should visit the wards, see the arrangements made for the patients, including the supply of the oxygen.
“I have directed the DG Medical Education to allow media persons to enter the wards and talk with the patients, attendants and doctors,” he said.
“I sent the DG Medical Education on Friday after the media reported the deaths in the medical college hospital. I also sought a report from the district magistrate,” he said.
“On Saturday, I sent the health minister and the medical education minister. Both have submitted their report. I visited today (Sunday) to take stock of the situation in the medical college,” he added.