India: 60 children die in public hospital in 5 days

Parents allege their child died due to a lack of oxygen supply at the hospital, a claim hospital officials deny.

Relatives of a baby who died in a hospital in India. Photo: Hindu Times.

At least 60 children aged between newborns and 12 have died in the past five days at Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Authorities said on August 12 that the death toll could rise further, according to SCMP.

The parents of the victims allege that their children died because of a lack of oxygen at the hospital. However, the authorities deny this and say they are investigating. Indian media reported that 30 children died in just two days, August 10 and 11, because the oxygen supply was interrupted because the hospital owed money to the supplier.

"We are investigating and will give a preliminary report today. Sixty patients have died in the hospital in five days but we do not think it is related to the shortage of oxygen supply," said Anil Kumar, a district official of Gorakhpur district.

Mr Kumar added that the hospital would be provided with more oxygen tonight or tomorrow, adding that the cause of death "could be natural, as many of the patients were admitted in serious condition".

Dr RS Shukla, the hospital’s medical superintendent, denied that the deaths were due to lack of oxygen. He said 10 of the children had encephalitis and the rest were “birth complications” but did not elaborate.

Baba Raghav Das Hospital is the main center for treating children with encephalitis. In two months, the hospital has treated nearly 370 cases. A hospital spokesman said 129 children have died.

"Many acute cases are being referred to the hospital. On average, 10-11 children die a day. We have formed an investigation team," said judge VK Srivastava.

Nobel peace prize winner and children's rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi called it a "massacre" on Twitter.

According to VNE