Suspended principal's working style sub-standard: DGME on Gorakhpur tragedy

After multitudes of children lost their lives at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College's hospital, DG Medical Education K.K. Gupta on Sunday said that he was receiving complaints against suspended principal Rajiv Mishra earlier as well, adding that his working style was "highly sub-standard."

"Whatever happened has nothing to do with the disruption of oxygen supply. This is the peak season of encephalitis. I have been receiving complaints against him (Rajiv Mishra, suspended Principal) earlier as well. Being a DG, I can say that his working style was highly sub-standard and disorganised," Gupta said.

The medical college's principal, Rajiv Mishra, was earlier, suspended from his duties.

The principal, however, later said that he resigned even as he owned up to the responsibility of the whole episode. He also said that the resgination was pre-planned.

Contrary to this, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday outrightly blamed the principal for laxity in performing his duty.

"The supplier wrote a letter to the Principal on August 1 which was sent to the DG Medical Education on August 4 and the money was released on August 5. The money was released on proper time. When the money released by the Medical Education administration has reached there, is it the mistake of the Minister or the Principal? It was the careless behaviour of Principal towards his duty," Chief Minister Adityanath said, while addressing the media.

According to data procurred from the BRD hospital, in five days - from August 7 to August 11, a total of 60 deaths occurred in the hospital.

The procurred data also shows the number of oxygen cylinders sent for refilling each day, showing a clear shortage of liquid oxygen in the hospital.