Man whose daughter died in Gorakhpur hospital seeks action against ministers

A resident of Bihar's Gopalganj district, whose newborn daughter was among scores of children who died at a state-run hospital here, has approached the police seeking action against UP's health and medical education ministers, an official said today.
However, no FIR has been lodged, the official said.
In his complaint, Manager Rajbhar claimed that his daughter had died due to shortage of oxygen at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and alleged that apart from the ministers, the state's principal secretary, health, was responsible for it, according to the official.
"Rajbhar, a resident of Gopalganj district, had on August 14, in a complaint alleged that along with the hospital administration, UP health minister, UP medical education minister and principal secretary, health, were responsible for the death of his new born daughter," Station Officer (SO), Gularhia police station, Akshay Kumar Mishra said.

He said that in the complaint, Rajbhar claimed that he had got his daughter admitted to the hospital on August 10, but due to shortage of oxygen, his child died.
The 'panchnama' (post death formalities) of the body was not done, he alleged.

"The principal secretary, health, UP medical education minister and health minister did not make payments for oxygen gas in time, due to which my daughter died. Hence, it is requested that a case be registered and appropriate action be taken against them," Rajbhar said in his complaint, according to officials.
Reacting to the incident, UP Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said, "I understand their pain, and have my sympathies for them. I do resolve to improve UP's health services for which I am already working."

According to SO Mishra, a similar complaint was also submitted by a local Congress leader.
Scores of children have died from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Gorakhpur's BRD medical college hospital in recent days triggering nation-wide concern.
Many of these deaths are alleged to have been caused due to shortage of oxygen cylinders.