Hospitals unclear about treatment in hooch incidents: SIT report

A special investigation team formed to probe the hooch deaths in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year found out that hospitals were not clear on the standard procedure of treatment in such cases, according to an official statement on Tuesday.

The SIT has recommended proper awareness drives in rural and urban areas to apprise the people about the side effects of illicit liquor. It has submitted its report to the Home Department, which has issued necessary directives to the departments concerned, a spokesperson said.

The team found that hospitals were not clear on how to provide treatment to those who consume spurious liquor and said there was a need for directives by the medical and health departments, the official said.

The SIT called for spreading awareness about the side effects of illicit liquor and suggested taking the help of NGOs, health and cleanliness committees for the campaign in all villages, he said.

After finding that cheap prices make the spurious liquor popular, the SIT also made certain recommendations in this regard, the spokesperson said.

In February, a major hooch tragedy claimed over 100 lives in two adjoining districts of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Haridwar in Uttarkhand. In an unrelated incident, nine people have died Kushinagar district after drinking spurious liquor.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had expressed fears of a "deep conspiracy" behind the deaths and wondered if a rival political party was behind "such mischievous acts".

In another incident in May, 17 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Barabanki district.

Last Wednesday, the state government had directed the district administrations to strictly enforce the provisions of the National Security Act and the Gangster Act against bootleggers.