Tragedy in Uttar Pradesh: why did 70 children die?

The deaths of 70 children at an Indian public hospital in less than a week have caused an uproar, said the National Herald (New Delhi). The tragedy in Gorakhpur in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh is still unexplained. The cause was initially said to be a sudden lack of liquid oxygen, the result of a supplier refusing new deliveries until its bills were paid. But the hospital and state authorities deny that, insisting that most of the deaths were due to Japanese encephalitis, a mosquitoborne brain inflammation. Another puzzle is the part played by the head paediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan. At first he was feted as a hero on social media for having bought oxygen cylinders with his own money, to try and save lives. But then he was suspended, following accusations that, far from seeking emergency supplies, he had contributed to the shortage by stealing oxygen to supply his illicit private practice.

Whatever the true cause of the deaths, the accusations against Khan are baseless, said Sandipan Sharma in Firstpost (Mumbai). There is no evidence at all that he stole oxygen; there hasn’t even been an official complaint against him. Local police have confirmed that they lent him a truck and that he scoured the area for new supplies. Nor is it a crime to run a private practice on the side – almost all state-paid doctors in India do it. No, these are smears cooked up by “rumourmongers” who can’t bear the idea of a Muslim being praised – just the latest example of “the bigotry burning the soul of India”. The “unpaid bill” charge rings true, though, said The Pioneer (New Delhi). Mismanagement and “petty corruption” in government agencies causes problems for millions of people; managers sometimes demand bribes before paying up. But the underlying cause is encephalitis, which is endemic to the marshes around Gorakhpur in the summer. Thousands of children have died at this hospital from the disease in recent years – a disaster unnoticed by the rest of India, which could have been avoided by a vaccination programme.

Despite India’s much-hyped economic growth, public healthcare is “abysmal”, said The New Indian Express (Madurai). Health spending has actually declined in real terms; at 1.2% of GDP, it’s one of the world’s lowest. In rural areas, facilities are “pathetic or non-existent”. Infant mortality rates are at subSaharan African levels. We must provide doctors, facilities and health insurance for the rural poor. “Until that happens, our children will continue to die needlessly, each and every day.”