Deaths of children and infants at the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur continued to mount, with 16 deaths reported on August 31. According to reports, 16 children have died, including one due to Encephalitis, in last 24 hours at BRD Medical College, three weeks after over 70 children, including infants, died in a span of five days. A total of 415 children died at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August this year. As many as 42 deaths were reported at BRD Medical College on August 29 and 30.
HIGHLIGHTS
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At least 16 children have died, including one due to Encephalitis, in last 24 hours.
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A total of 415 children died at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August.
The BRD Medical College drew global attention when more than 70 children, including infants, died at the hospital within a span of a week in August. The deaths reportedly happened due to disruption in the oxygen supply by the vendor who was not paid for several months. The charge, however, was denied by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Initiating action against officials responsible for the Gorakhpur tragedy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has removed Additional Chief Secretary (Medical Health) Anita Bhatnagar Jain after a high-powered committee found the senior woman IAS officer guilty of delay in non-payment to the oxygen vendor, who allegedly disrupted supplies, causing problems at the ICU and the pediatrics ward at the hospital.
An FIR has been registered against nine people, including the sacked principal of BRD Medical College Rajiv Mishra and his wife Purnima Shukla, in connection with the deaths of over 70 children, due to alleged lack of oxygen supply. Mishra was suspended as principal of the medical college on August 12 after the deaths were reported. He resigned the same day owning moral responsibility. The company responsible for the supply of liquid oxygen, M/s Pushpa Sales, was also named in the FIR.
Following the deaths, cases were registered under various sections of the IPC, Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Medical Council Act against Mishra, his wife, Dr Kafeel Khan, Dr Satish, Chief Pharmacist, Gajanan Jaiswal, Accountant Sudhir Pandey, Assistant Clerk, Uday Pratap Sharma of Pushpa Sales and Manish Bhandari.
