Nearly 100 children die in Kota, death toll expected to rise further: R'sthan

The figure is expected to increase further, just like the BRD Hospital of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where as of September 02, 2017, nearly 1,317 children had died. In both the cases, lack of medical felicities and proper arrangements has been seen where no one is willing to take responsibility for the infants death.

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 2 Jan 2020 7:12 AM GMT
Nearly 100 children die in Kota, death toll expected to rise further: Rsthan
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Kota: The rising death toll among infants in Kota, has put a question mark on the Rajasthan's governance and administration, where at least 100 infants have died in the month of December at the JK Lon hospital only.

The figure is expected to increase further, just like the BRD Hospital of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, where as of September 02, 2017, nearly 1,317 children had died. In both the cases, lack of medical felicities and proper arrangements has been seen where no one is willing to take responsibility for the infants death.

On December 23-24 only at least 10 children at the government-run hospital lost their lives and nearly 9 other babies died in the last two days of December, triggering a mass uproar and opposition criticism. Later on Dec 31, a BJP parliamentary team comprising of MPs Locket Chatterjee, Kanta Kardam and Jaskaur Meena visited the hospital and expressed concern over its infrastructure.

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The panel said two to three children were found on single beds and the hospital did not have enough nurses.

Earlier, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had served a show cause notice to the Congress government in the state.

"Pigs were found roaming inside the campus of the hospital," said, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo.

Hospital authorities, however, said the number of deaths reported at the health facility in 2019 was less than 1,005 in 2018.

While, the hospital administration has blamed low birth weight as the main cause of death, a Rajasthan government committee ruled that the infants were given the right treatment.

Infant mortality increased:

In the month of December at least 100 infants are reported to have lost their lives, while, 10 children died in just 48-hours on December 23-24. Later 9 other babies died in the last two days of the month, rising the death toll even further.

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However, as per hospital officials 2019 saw less infant mortality at the government-run hospital than 2018 which witnessed at least 1,005 child death. Where the hospital head blames low birth-weight the primary reason of infants death, the hospital negligence and poor medical felicities indicates towards government's carelessness.

The hospital's negligence was denied, the committee reported:

After the rising number of deaths among infants, the state government constituted an inquiry committee, which in its report ruled out the cause of death due to inefficient treatment but stated that children were brought to the hospital in a cold jeep or other vehicles, which became a major cause of death.

The report further stated, infection, cold and lack of oxygen pipeline as the main cause of infant mortality at the hospital. According to the committee's report, the hospital's neonatal ICU does not have an oxygen pipeline and was supplied from cylinders here. In such a situation, infection in children increased, causing increased death tolls.

Interestingly, this tragic case is from the region which gives India a huge number of doctors, as Kota is popularly known as 'coaching factories' and churns out hundreds of doctors and engineers from its institutes every year.

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Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

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