After the Gorakhpur BRD medical college tragedy, death of 49 infants in one month at the Farrukhabad district government hospital has come as another blow to the Yogi government.
The government removed the district magistrate Ravindra Kumar and ordered to register FIRs against Chief Medical Officer Dr Umakant and Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Akhilesh Agrawal. The preliminary magisterial inquiry attributed these deaths to ‘inadequate supply of oxygen’ but it was found that the preliminary inquiry was done over telephone and the concerned officer did not even visit the hospital.
The Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said that the district magistrate and city magistrate conducted an inquiry into the incident. The city magistrate Jainendra Kumar conducted a telephonic inquiry and attributed ‘inadequate oxygen supply’ to these deaths. Principal Secretary (health) Prashant Trivedi, held this report baseless, sensational and wrong.
To find out the truth behind the deaths, Trivedi has directed Director General of health Dr Padmakar Singh to conduct an inquiry into the incident.
The government spokesperson said that between July 20 and August 21, 461 pregnant women were admitted to the hospital. Of the 468 babies born, 19 newborns died soon after the delivery and 66 babies were in a serious condition of which six died. Later 24 more babies passed away, taking the total toll to 49.
