Adityanath visits Gorakhpur hospital, says guilty will not be spared

Gorakhpur, Aug 13 (IANS) Facing public anger, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday visited the hospital here where over 60 children died in five days and said anyone found guilty of negligence would not be spared.

Flanked by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, who accompanied him on a tour of the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, the Chief Minister said they are waiting for a report of the probe committee set up by the government.

"I have formed a high level Committee under the supervision of the Chief Secretary and a thorough probe has been ordered to check the cause of the deaths in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and the supply of oxygen," he said.

"Let the report of the Committee come... I want to assure you all that not only in Gorakhpur but in any government hospital if there has been any lapse then we will take strict action after the BRD hospital tragedy," he said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended every possible aid to the state government after he briefed him about the situation at the BRD Medical College Hospital.

"The Prime Minister is very concerned. Centre is providing all help to the state government and a team of doctors has flown in from Delhi to Gorakhpur and they are camping here," he said.

Adityanath also sought the Centre's help to set up a virology research centre in the eastern part of the state to fight vector borne diseases like encephalitis, which claim several lives each year.

"The atmosphere of eastern UP is such that there are many vector borne diseases like encephalitis. To stop the diseases we need to have a full-fledged Central Virology Research Centre," Adityanath said.

He accused the opposition parties of politicising the issue. "Those whose sensitivity has died are now trying to add salt to the wound by raising the sensitive issue unnecessarily," he hit out.

Nadda announced that the Centre has approved Rs 85 crore for setting up a central Virology Research Centre in Gorakhpur.

"The approval for a Central-level Virology Research Centre has been given. The research centre will be set up in Gorakhpur to help in finding out the real problems of the vector-borne diseases in the areas of eastern UP and will help in finding a permanent solution. For this purpose the Centre will release Rs 85 crore," said Nadda.

Initially, it was reported that the children's deaths occurred due to lack of liquid oxygen in the BRD college, but Adityanath on Saturday stated that the deaths were due to encephalitis and other reasons.

The Chief Minister and Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh had contended on Saturday that there has been no death due to lack of oxygen supply at the BRD Medical College and Hospital, but did concede there was a problem in supply of liquid oxygen for four hours on August 10 which was made up by the system switching to cylinders.

Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel and Union Health Secretary C.K. Mishra visited the hospital on Saturday on the directions of the Centre to look into the lapses in the BRD Medical College.

Principal of the BRD Medical College R.K. Mishra was suspended for alleged negligence and callousness.

The opposition Congress has demanded that Adityanath should apologise to the families who lost their children in the tragedy and the dismissal of the state Health Minister.