Gorakhpur hospital tragedy: Yogi Adityanath orders thorough probe, strict action

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on 12 August assured quick action will be taken against those involved in the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College's hospital, following which over 30 infants lost their lives.

"People responsible for this will not be spared. Quick action will be taken against the ones responsible for this, as it is a very serious issue," Siddharth Nath said after meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here.

He further said that even the Chief Minister visited the hospital recently but the hospital authority didn't even inform about any such things as being reported.

"The Chief Minister himself went there in 9 August, none of the doctors or the administration informed him about any such issue of alleged lack of supply of oxygen," he said.

Siddharth Nath even hit out on the opposition for harping on this issue and said that they should not politicise over the death of the children.

"I will only say that this is a very crucial issue. It's the work of the opposition to question the ruling party. But they should not politicise over the death of the children. This is not a correct time," he said.

State Minister for Medical Education Ashutosh Tandon reiterated the same and said action will be taken after detailed probe on the matter.

"The Chief Minister has given us proper instruction on this issue. We will leave for Gorakhpur soon and after details analysis of the situation will take further decision on the same," Tandon said.

Earlier in the day, the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at the hospital claimed lives of three more children.

The shortage of oxygen allegedly led to encephalitis, which is a sudden onset inflammation of the brain, following which the children died.

The families of the children have claimed that the doctors were not treating them well and the hospital was not even providing the medicines which were required for the treatment.

As per the locals, though the hospital is supposed to provide free medical assistance, neither there is proper medical facility available nor are the patients provided free medicines.

Earlier on Friday, it was reported that as many as 30 children lost their lives due to encephalitis in a span of 48 hours at the hospital.

Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela said that the cause of the deaths at the BRD Hospital was the disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen and has further appealed to the suppliers to not cut the supply henceforth.

Following this reports, the Uttar Pradesh Government jumped in defence of the medical college, while also assuring that the District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and the report will be out in 24 hours.

"There haven't been any deaths due to lack of oxygen supply. And 'only' seven children have died today. Today three deaths happened in Neonatal ICU, two due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and two due to Non-AES," UP Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tondon said.

"The District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The report will be out in 24 hours," he added.

He further said that the arrangement of oxygen cylinders was duly made and a strict action will be taken against those responsible for the mishap.

Meanwhile, according to data procured from the BRD hospital, in past five days - from 7 August to 11 August, a total of 60 deaths have occurred in the hospital.

The procured data also shows the number of oxygen cylinders sent for refilling each day, showing a clear shortage of liquid oxygen in the hospital. 

-ANI