30 children die in Government Medical college hospital in Gorakhpur, U.P

Thirty children lost their young lives ,out of them 17 newborns in the Neonatal ward, all within a span of 48 hours in government-run BRD Medical college hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. The reason seems to be the cutting off of Liquid Oxygen supply by a private firm as it was not paid outstanding dues of nearly Rs.70 lakhs.

Even as the hospital was reeling under the children’s deaths and the hospital authorities were blaming the stopping of oxygen through pipeline and managing with procuring oxygen cylinders on an emergency basis, the U.P government however denied the allegation of stopping of liquid oxygen supply as false and a magisterial probe has been ordered to find the cause of deaths.

Twenty three children died on Thursday night, while seven lost their lives on Friday after oxygen supply to the hospital was disrupted at 7.30 pm on Thursday. Oxygen is one of the most important emergency life saving drug/measure for a newborn or any person suffering from asphyxia due to any cause The District Magistrate of Gorakhpur has been quoted as requesting the private firm suppliers not to cut off the oxygen supply.

“On August 10, at 7.30 pm, the pressure in the liquid oxygen started falling,” the hospital said in a statement. “Fifty-two oxygen cylinders kept in reserve were used as a replacement. Fifty cylinders were sourced from IGL Faizabad that arrived at 1.30 pm on August 11 in ward No 100. These were immediately connected by the central pipeline operator.”

Gorakhpur CM Yogi’s constituency for last 19 years

“There have been no deaths due to lack of oxygen supply,” said UP’s medical education Minister Ashutosh Tondon, adding that the district magistrate of Gorakhpur has ordered an investigation and “the report will be out within 24 hours”.

The state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College is the biggest hospital in Gorakhpur, which has been Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s parliamentary constituency for the last 19 years. If this is the state of affairs in a tertiary care hospital in U.P ,one can imagine the plight of primary care centres.