UP CM ensures stern action in Gorakhpur hospital tragedy

Lucknow: In a stern action in the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed to register FIR against principal of BRD Hospital and five others and removed Additional Chief Secretary Medical Education Anita Bhatnagar Jain from her post.

The action was based on the inquiry report submitted by Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar into the deaths of 65 children in the Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital.

Newstrack had already pointed out the negligence of Anita Bhatnagar Jain.

Also read: Children dying in Gorakhpur hospital; Sorry the office is closed!

Rajnish Dubey has replaced Anita Bhatnagar as Additional Chief Secretary Medical Education. The state government also removed Director General Medical and Education (DGME) Dr KK Gupta for the negligence in the BRD hospital case.

Strict action will be also be taken against oxygen supplier firm, Pushpa Sales, said sources.

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The FIR will be filed in Hazratganj police station.

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It may be mentioned here that Gorakhpur District Magistrate Rajeev Rautela has already submitted his report in which he has held oxygen supplier firm, Pushpa Sales Pvt Ltd, Principal RK Mishra, Anesthesia Department head Dr. Satish responsible for the death of over 65 children in the Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital.

About 65 children, many infants, died on Auguest 11 due to encephalitis and a reported shortage of oxygen supply at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, Adityanath's parliamentary constituency.

The large number of deaths of children at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, allegedly due to the lack of oxygen, has dented the aura of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The death of 65 children in a medical college in his hometown has, however, severely damaged his standing. The government is under attack for its handling of the tragedy. Despite the District Magistrate of Gorakhpur admitting to disruption of oxygen, the government has stuck to its guns that this was not the case.

Also read: Gorakhpur tragedy like situation in Chhattisgarh hospital; 3 children dead

Things went worse for Yogi government when its Health Minister Siddhartha Nath Singh contended that “deaths of children in the month of August happened even in the past”.

Anger against Siddhartha Nath Singh, in particular, spiralled and his house in Allahabad, from where he is a legislator, was pelted with eggs and tomatoes.

Opposition parties are also asking questions how if the oxygen supply was not disrupted, as claimed by the government, were people in charge of making payments to the vendor suspended and offices of the oxygen vendor raided.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that while infants and children were dying, hospital authorities were pushing them out so that the tragedy did not come to light.