Gorakhpur Tragedy: Children die every August, says Health Minister

Lucknow: In what could be said as a shameful statement, Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Saturday said that every August, several children die. In 2014 and 2015, about 500 children had lost their lives.

Fighting criticism from all over, Siddharth Nath Singh said that children did not die owing to disruption of gas supply.

Blaming hospital administration for deaths, Siddharth Nath Singh said that they have suspended BRD medical college principal of Gorakhpur.

"We are suspending BRD medical college principal with immediate effect for negligent behaviour," said Siddharth.

"This is very serious and sensitive matter. State government has ordered probe into why dealer cut oxygen supply," he added.

Rajiv Mishra, suspended Principal, BRD medical college, however, said that he wrote his resignation prior to that suspension taking responsibility of innocent children.

"We paid the gas company on time. No deaths took place due to low oxygen, said Rajiv Mishra.

Earlier, Adityanath dispatched Singh and Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tandon to the tragedy-struck town with instructions to "spare none for the tragedy".

Sixty children have lost their lives due to encephalitis and reported lack of oxygen supply at the BRD Medical college in five days, of whom many were infants, and 30 of the deaths were reported in the last 48 hours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly monitoring the situation in Gorakhpur. He is in constant touch with authorities from the Central and UP Governments, said PMO.