Gorakhpur tragedy: NHRC notice to Yogi Adityanath govt, seeks report

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government over the death of children in the Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College, Gorakhpur due to snapping of oxygen supply in critical care wards.

Issuing the notice to the Yogi government through the state chief secretary, NHRC has sought a detailed report in the matter, apart from the steps taken for relief and rehabilitation of the victims’ families as well as action taken against the guilty within four weeks.

The Commission issued the notice after taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, which purportedly hinted at negligence in the supply of liquid oxygen, which resulted in the tragedy. The human rights watchdog observed that a large number of reported deaths in a government run hospital amounted to serious violation of Right to Life and Health of the victims.

It also indicated gross callousness on part of the hospital administration, the state medical education and health department. Earlier also, NHRC had come across instances of deaths in the hospitals due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE).

The Commission further observed the issue of deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis was discussed in detail with the UP chief secretary and senior officials during the NHRC’s recently concluded Open Hearing and Camp Sitting at Lucknow during August 9-11, 2017. However, in spite of assurance by the state, the situation had not improved, the NHRC lamented.

According to media reports, the private firm contracted to supply liquid oxygen to the BRD Medical College had abruptly withheld critical supplies over outstanding bills amounting to almost Rs 70 lakh, which resulted in the tragic deaths of about 60 children convalescing in the neo-natal and encephalitis wards.

In the last three decades, JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have claimed over 50,000 lives in the Eastern UP, mostly in the Gorakhpur region.

NHRC further mentioned that 124 deaths were reported in the hospital till August 8, 2017, while 641 and 491 children had died in 2016 and 2015 respectively.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited R D Medical College along with union health and family welfare minister J P Nadda and later addressed the media as well.

He had urged the media to report factually on the issue, which he noted deserved compassion. Yogi had also hit out at the opposition leaders for terming the incident as murder of children.

The CM had said he had been fighting against JE, a fatal vector borne disease afflicting Gorakhpur and the adjoining districts from street to Parliament. “No one can understand the pain and trauma of patients better than I, as I have seen children die of the disease and now I cannot allow more deaths,” Yogi had underscored even as his voice had choked of pent up emotions.

A high-level committee headed by UP chief secretary Rajive Kumar has been constituted to submit a comprehensive report on the matter. “I want to reassure that none found guilty in the report would be spared and exemplary action would be taken so that it serves as a deterrent to other offenders,” Yogi said added.