Victims recount horror, blame hosp for tragedy

GORAKHPUR: Saroj Devi, whose 7-year-old daughter Jyoti was among 30 children who died due to lack of liquid oxygen supply at the BRD medical college, was inconsolable.

Jyoti was admitted in the 100bed ward on Tuesday with high fever and vomiting. Saroj’s mother-in-law Subhati Devi said, “Since morning we were listening that children were dying because of lack of oxygen. We didn’t know that we too will loss our child. No one other than the doctors are responsible for the deaths.”

Like Saroj Devi, dozens of parents were seen carrying their dead children home as no autopsy was conducted.

Deep Chand, who lost his 11day old baby boy, was in a state of shock. “I found my son dead when I returned to the ward with bottles of blood and medicine . The doctors simply said my son was no more. I could not understand how he died so soon,” he said.

Then there were those whose kids were admitted in encephlitis, neonatal and general paediatric wards. The element of fear clearly showed in their eyes. Most of the attendants said the doctors were not allowing them to see their ailing children and even misbehaved with them.

Mohammad Zahid and his wife Amaira were spotted peeping through the glass window to see their 7 month old daughter in the neo natal ward. “She had turned cold and doctors are not allowing me to meet her. All they asked me was to pray to god to save her life,” Zahid said while breaking down.

Mrityunjay, resident of Kushinagar who had admitted her new born baby delivered prematurely, blamed the hospital authorities for laxity in treating patients. “Patients are asked to purchase about 90 % of medicines from market. Officials and staff do not listen to patients and keep on playing game on the computers,” he said.

“Doctors are even slapping patients when they try to meet their children.You can take out CCTV recordings to check it,” he said. Meanwhile, a truck full of oxygen cylinders was made available to BRD late Friday evening.

Congress MLA Ajay Kumar Lallu has demanded a CBI probe into the deaths. “We also demand the CM’s resignation on moral ground,” said Lallu.