Congress seeks judicial probe into infants' death at Ahmedabad hospital

The Congress on Sunday demanded judicial probe into death of infants at an Ahmedabad hospital and questioned the issue not finding mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme.

Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill claimed that 18 infants had died at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital over the past three days "due to the non-availability of doctors" and demanded resignation of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani "due to gross criminal negligence of the state administration" and an independent inquiry under the supervision of either the Supreme Court or the high court.

Shergill alleged that the Chief Superintendent of the Civil Hospital was a BJP ticket aspirant from the Aswara constituency and "is busy serving the ruling BJP government", while a cover-up has begun to protect the accused involved.

He said instead of "Mann Ki Baat", the Prime Minister should have apologised to the people, particularly families of the infants who had died, while Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah "should be held accountable and answerable" for deaths of infants in BJP ruled Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Nine infants, including five referred from other public hospitals in critical condition, died at the Government Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The newborns breathed their last on Saturday at Intensive Care Unit of the hospital.

--IANS

ps/vd