DM’s report says children died due to oxygen crisis

Gorakhpur district administration in its report sent to the state government has stated that some children admitted in the encephalitis and neonatal wards in the BRD Medical College hospital died on August 10 and 11 due to oxygen crisis, sources said. Top government officers here, however, refused to comment or confirm such a report. The state government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the deaths on August 12. Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Routela was directed to complete the probe and send his report to the chief secretary.

Gorakhpur district administration in its report sent to the state government has stated that some children admitted in the encephalitis and neonatal wards in the BRD Medical College hospital died on August 10 and 11 due to oxygen crisis, sources said. Top government officers here, however, refused to comment or confirm such a report. The state government had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the deaths on August 12. Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Routela was directed to complete the probe and send his report to the chief secretary. Rautela has indicted the doctors, para medical staff and clerks of the medical college. According to sources, the DM’s report said Rajiv Mishra, the then principal of BRD Medical College, was aware of the impending oxygen crisis but failed to alert senior officers in the medical education and health departments, according to sources. Rather, he went on leave after chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the medical college on August 9. He did not inform the chief minister about the oxygen crisis and payment of dues to the supplier, the sources added. The DM has demanded strict action against the oxygen supplier Pushpa Sales for stopping oxygen supply due to delay in payment of Rs 69 lakh arrears. Oxygen supply is an emergency service and the company cannot suspend supply, the DM’s report said. The DM also indicted Dr Satish Kumar, member of the purchase committee who went on leave on August 11 without taking the principal’s permission. The air conditioner installed in the encephalitis ward was faulty but Dr Kumar did not get it repaired, the report said. The report has also blamed Dr Kafeel Khan, the then in-charge of the encephalitis ward, for the crisis and death of children, sources said. A health department official said the DM had also ordered for action against paramedical staff Gajanan Jaiswal, who maintained a log book of the oxygen supply ,and clerks in the finance section of the medical college. Chief secretary Rajive Kumar confirmed that he had received the district magistrate’s report. However, there was no official confirmation of the contents of the report.