Shiv Sena Attacks UP Government Over Death Of Children In Gorakhpur, Farrukhabad

Coming down heavily on Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over the death of more than 100 children in state government-run hospitals, the Shiv Sena, in an editorial in the party's mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, on Tuesday criticised the incidents calling them a case of 'a spree of children's homicide'.

Citing the fact that the children who died at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College and Farrukhabad district hospital belonged to poor families, the Shiv Sena said instead of acting as a 'God' to the poor', these government hospitals are proving to be a 'God of death’ for them.

"The government-run hospitals are one and only shelter for the poor in the midst of an alarming health crisis. If these hospitals show such negligence, how the needy will survive?" the article read.

Holding the UP government responsible for the recent deaths due to oxygen shortage, the Shiv Sena averred that this clearly states that the government is unconcerned about the facilities in the hospital.

According to reports, parents of these children have accused the hospital authority for the death of the children and claimed that they have informed the magistrates about the lack of oxygen and medicines in the hospital. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of Farrukhabad's Ram Manohar Lohia Rajkiya Chikitsalaya.

While 49 children died in Farrukhabad in the last one month, the Gorakhpur incident claimed the lives of more than 70 children at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College. But as reported by The Times of India, the month saw fewer deaths in the two wards of the hospital's paediatric department than it did over the past three years.

In August 2014, the number of deaths reported from the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) and the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) wards of the hospital was 567, while in August 2015 it was 668 and 587 in August 2016. However, in August 2017, the figure was 325.

With inputs from ANI