After Gorakhpur tragedy, CM Adityanath declares war against encephalitis

Over 60 children died at BRD Medical College due to an alleged shortage of oxygen supply

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday called for a collective war against fatal diseases such as encephalitis after the death of over 60 children in less than a week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. 

The deaths were allegedly caused due to the shortage of oxygen supply at the hospital.

In his maiden Independence Day speech, CM Adityanath said that the remedy to such diseases was present in the central government’s "Swacch Bharat Mission" that focuses on improving hygiene and sanitation standards across the country. The flagship programme of the Narendra Modi-led central government was a mass movement that needed public participation, he added.

Speaking from the ramparts of the UP Vidhan Sabha, Adityanath further said that such incidents should act as a warning and steps need to be taken to pre-empt such occurrences. 

According to the CM, around 500 to 1,000 children, within an age limit of 1 to 10 years, die every year due to vector-borne diseases in eastern UP. These need to be brought down by taking measures towards improving sanitary condition, said Adityanath.

In his speech, the UP CM also touched upon issues such as corruption and security. He said the state government was working towards a policy to reward policemen with out-of-turn promotion for good work.

On its part, the state government has maintained that the Gorakhpur hospital deaths were not related to the lack of oxygen supply, but was a result of the ailment itself. However, Adityanath has assured strict action against any incidence of callousness, negligence and corruption that may surface in the report prepared by the chief secretary that is expected to be released later this week.    

On Monday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the UP government over the tragic deaths at the Gorakhpur hospital. The state government was asked to furnish a detailed report on the matter, besides sharing particulars about the steps taken towards the rehabilitation of families of the deceased children. The Adityanath government was also asked to share details of the action initiated against the guilty in the matter. The NHRC has sought a reply within four weeks’ time.  

Taking a suo motu cognisance of several media reports on the matter, the human rights watchdog observed that a large number of deaths in a government-run hospital amounted to a serious violation of the right to life and health of citizens. 

It also suspected incidences of gross negligence on the part of the hospital administration as well as the state medical education and health department. 
 

In the recent tragedy, the supplier had allegedly stopped oxygen supply over an outstanding bill amount of over Rs 68 lakh.

In the last three decades, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have claimed over 50,000 lives in eastern UP alone with a majority of deaths occurring in the Gorakhpur region. This year, around 124 deaths had been reported at the hospital until last week on August 8. Last year, the death toll stood at 641, while in the preceding year around 491 children died in the hospital.