Gorakhpur hospital tragedy: NHRC issues notice to Uttar Pradesh government

"The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Government of Uttar Pradesh, through its Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report in the matter of several deaths of children in the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur, along with the steps taken for relief and rehabilitation of the affected families as well as action taken against the guilty officers within four weeks. The notice follows the suo motu cognizance taken by the Commission of several media reports hinting at negligence in the supply of liquid oxygen at the hospital which resulted in the tragedy," the NHRC said in a statement.

"The Commission has observed that reported deaths, in such a large number in a government run hospital, amount to serious violation of Right to Life and Health of the innocent victims. This indicates towards gross callousness on part of the hospital administration and the Medical Education and Health Department of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Earlier also, it has come across several instances of deaths in the hospitals due to Japanese Encephalitis," it said.

The statement further said|: "The Commission has further observed that the issue of deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis was discussed with the Chief Secretary and other senior officers of the State Government in detail during its recently concluded Open Hearing and Camp Sitting at Lucknow for the cases of Uttar Pradesh from the 9th to 11th August, 2017. However, in spite of assurance given by the state administration, the situation has not improved. "

Over 60 children has died in  BRD Medical College Hospital of Gorakhpur since Aug 7.

The Supreme Court on Monday  rejected a plea for  taking  suo motu cognizance of the deaths of infants in Gorakhpur hospital  and institute a Special Investigation Team probe, media reports said.

The apex court asked the petitioner to move the Allahabad High Court.

On Sunday, hours after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s visit to the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College,  Dr Kafeel Khan was removed as the Nodal Officer for the pediatrics department on the ground of  “negligence of duty”.

As a bitter cry rose over the death of 63 children, including newborns, the Chief Minister  promised strict action against those responsible.

“The guilty will not be spared and such strict action would be taken by the Uttar Pradesh government that it would set an example for people to work with discipline,” he said.

Union Minister for Health, J P Nadda, who also visited the hospital along with the CM,  said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reviewing the situation on a regular basis.

He  announced that the Centre would contribute Rs 85 crore towards setting up a Regional Medical Research Centre in Gorakhpur to study all the causes of infection among children in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Image: Yogi Adityanath Twitter page