Death continues to stalk BRD; 61 more kids die in 72 hours

Days after alleged disruption in oxygen supply resulted in deaths of over 30 children within 48 hours at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College, 61 more children died there in last 72 hours spreading panic in the medical college again.

The latest deaths were caused due to various ailments, including encephalitis, health complexities in newborns, pneumonia, sepsis etc.

Local doctors said the number of deaths will increase in the coming days due to the heavy rainfall, floods and water-logging as acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) spreads fast in such situations.

While BRD principal Dr PK Singh did not respond to repetitive calls form HT, Dr RN Singh, a pediatrician, who has worked extensively in the area of encephalitis, said: “Insufficient homework was done to control the outspread of AES in January and thereafter the entire machinery remained busy in the UP elections.” “Secondly, heavy monsoon also accounts for large number of cases among children,” said Singh who added that preparation like fogging to kill mosquitoes (JE host), de-silting, vaccination and chlorination of water were not done in time

Since January 1 to August 28, 1,254 children have died in the encephalitis ward, neonatal intensive care unit (NNICU) and general pediatric ward of BRD’s Nehru hospital, official sources confirmed. This includes 1,075 deaths at NNICU and general pediatric ward and 179 in encephalitis ward, the annual killer which breaks out after monsoon.

In the same duration, 724 patients were admitted to the encephalitis ward alone.

On August 27 and 28, a total of 36 deaths occurred.

This includes seven deaths at encephalitis ward, 15 at NNICU and 14 at general pediatric ward.

On 29th August, 25 deaths occurred at the hospital, including four deaths at the encephalitis ward, 10 at NNICU and 11 at general pediatric ward.

After the death of over 30 children on August 10 and 11, the state government increased the strength of doctors and paramedical staff in the hospital.

But the situation continues to be pathetic in the hospital as due to large inflow of infected children, the wards are packed and three to four children are adjusted on one bed.

The medical college receives patients from 36 eastern UP districts and Nepal and at any given time has about 500 such patients.