The Congress on Wednesday attacked the BJP government in Gujarat over the death of over 15,000 infants during treatment at newborn care units across the state in the last two years and demanded Chief Minister Vijay Rupani's resignation over the issue.
Responding to a set of questions raised by Congress MLAs in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the Health portfolio, said that out of the 1.06 lakh infants admitted to such units during 2018 and 2019 across the state, 15,013 babies died during treatment.
These deaths were reported from sick newborn care units set up in almost all districts of the state.
On Wednesday, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala held the BJP government responsible for these deaths.
"15,013 infants died. Everyday 20 infants are dying. The maximum number of infant deaths -- 4,322 -- in Ahmedabad. This is Amit Shah's parliamentary constituency," he said in a tweet.
"Will the cries of babies be heard? Will anyone raise questions? Will the TV media show courage?" Surjewala asked.
Speaking with reporters outside Parliament, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said there are guidelines for sick newborn care units like two newborns should be three metres apart so that infection does not spread.
"But when we visited these centres, we saw babies being put next to one another," he said.
Gohil hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for not showing "sensitivity" towards the issue.
The second most number of infant deaths are from Rajkot from where Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was elected to the Assembly.
The chief minister has no right to stay on in the post and he should resign, Gohil said.
Congress MP Amee Yajnik said, "When you talk about Gujarat's social indicators, when you talk about Gujarat's health system, you see that utmost insensitivity is shown towards them."
"Over 15,000 infant deaths, the responsibility also lies with the state government to haul up these hospitals, to haul up these healthcare facilities," she said.
Least sensitivity is expected from the prime minister and the home minister on the issue, considering their past record, Yajnik said.
Gujarat is shown as a development model, but its social indicators speak otherwise, she said.
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