Six more patients, mostly children, died of encephalitis at Gorakhpur hospital in past three days
Although a top official said they succumbed to the disease, it has been alleged that over 60 children died at the institute after oxygen supply was disrupted.
Six patients, mostly children, died of encephalitis in Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in the past three days, claimed Additional Director (Health) Pushkar Anand on Monday. This brings the total number of children’s deaths at the institute to near 70, PTI reported.
Although many alleged that the children had died after oxygen supply at the hospital was disrupted because of lack of payment, the Uttar Pradesh government had dismissed this claim.
Anand said that these six patients died between August 12 and August 14. “In the past three days – from August 12 to August 14 – six encephalitis patients, mostly children, have died,” he said. “In the same period, as many as 21 patients were admitted for treatment. At present, nearly 75 encephalitis patients are undergoing treatment at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital.”
The National Human Rights Commission on Monday had issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government in connection with the deaths of more than 60 children at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College and Hospital. It sought details about the measures taken to rehabilitate the families affected and what actions were taken against the guilty officers.
Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janata Party National President Amit Shah on Monday ruled out Chief Minister Adityanath’s resignation on the grounds of moral responsibility for the children’s deaths. Shah said the “tragedy” was caused by “a mistake that happened at some level, but you cannot deny our aim to help”.