One more child dies in Gorakhpur hospital, toll now 72

One more child died in Baba Raghav Das Medical College hospital here today, apparently due to encephalitis, raising to 72 the number of deaths in the hospital since August 7.
The child was admitted in the encephalitis ward of the medical college.
According to the office of additional director health and family welfare, "One child died today in the encephalitis ward. As many as 15 fresh cases were admitted in the encephalitis ward today."
Till yesterday, the death toll in the hospital since August 7 was 71.
Six encephalitis-related deaths were reported between August 12 and August 14, while five encephalitis-related deaths were reported from August 15 to August 16.

Earlier, UP Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh had said that 60 children died due to various diseases since August 7.

Meanwhile, a delegation led by CPIM politburo member Subhashini Ali reached Gorakhpur and met parents of five- year-old Khushi (of Bichhia village) who died on August 11.
They also met another family (in Janghaghudh Marwa Tola), which had lost its three-day child on August 11, Subhashini Ali said in a statement issued here today.
"The delegation demanded that family members of children who died due to negligence be given compensation, increase in health budget, and improvement in PHCs and CHCs, a judicial probe in the entire matter, and appropriate punishment for the guilty officials," the statement said.