The Allahabad High Court on Thursday directed the Uttar Pradesh State Legal Services Authority to personally visit Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur and file a report on what caused the death of 63 children at the facility earlier in August, IANS reported. The bench gave the agency’s secretary time till September 12 to submit the report.
Details of the infrastructure and medical facilities available at the hospital should be mentioned in the report, the bench comprising Chief Justice DB Bhosle and Justice MK Gupta said. The secretary of the legal services body has been asked to include photographs of various wards, as well, PTI reported.
The Allahabad High Court, which heard nine separate petitions over the deaths of children at the hospital, gave the Adityanath administration additional time to file its counter affidavit. The petitions alleged that the children had died at the BRD Hospital because of negligence and lack of medicines and also sought an investigation by a retired High Court judge into the tragic deaths.
On Wednesday, the college’s principal, PK Singh, had said that 1,250 children had died at the hospital since January. In August alone, 77 children had died of encephalitis at the facility.
On Tuesday, it was reported that 61 children had died at the hospital between August 26 and 28. The news came on the heels of reports that 63 children had passed away at BRD Hospital between August 7 and August 11 allegedly because of lack of oxygen supply.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!