Gorakhdhanda

The death of 60-odd children in a hospital at Gorakhpur, the constituency of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, has jolted the nation on the eve of Independence Day. There is a nauseating dispute over the cause of the deaths with the government insisting that lack of oxygen cited in media reports is not the reason for the deaths. It was revolting the way BJP and UP government spokespersons reeled out figures of similar deaths happening in the hospital during the monsoon in the recent years to hammer the point that such things were normal in eastern UP. They blamed the deaths on encephalitis, a viral infection caused by a mosquito bite, which affects the brain, leading to coma and death. According to a media report, 114 patients have died of encephalitis this year so far. 

 The deaths should be a matter of embarrassment to a regime that promises to bring about parivartan. Instead, the familiar trick of an inquiry has been played upon an anguished nation. And the Yogi government contradicts itself. If oxygen shortage did not cause the deaths, as it claims, then why has the government suspended Dr Kafeel Ahmad Khan, in-charge of the paediatrics ward responsible for oxygen supply? The government seems to admit that there was oxygen shortage but manitains that it did not cause the deaths. Similarly, the government has suspended Medical College chief Rajeev Misra, giving indications which way the inquiry should move.   

Whatever the cause of the deaths, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath cannot escape his part of the responsibility. He has represented Gorakhpur in Parliament for about 20 years and thousands of deaths have taken place in his constituency since the first case of encephalitis was discovered in 1978.  In May this year a CAG report had pointed out that BRD Medical College, Gorkhpur, and other UP hospitals have failed to provide proper treatment to patients because of inadequate infrastructure. The Chief Minister cannot plead innocence of facts now. He is guilty of wasting his energies in pursuing a politically-motivated agenda. About time he and his mentors began attending to the nitty-gritty of basic administration.