Report blames docs for deaths in Gorakhpur Medical College

An official probe into the death of 30 children owing to alleged shortage of oxygen at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur has found that laxity on the part of the doctors and hospital authorities was behind the tragedy.
 
The probe, which was conducted by the district magistrate of Gorakhpur, also revealed that the lives of the children could have been saved had the doctors been more careful and there was better coordination among them.
 
The report, which was submitted to the state government, on Monday, also found fault with the suspended principal of the medical college Dr. Rajiv Kumar Mishra and another senior doctor both of whom had left the hospital at a time, when there already was a shortage of liquid oxygen.
 
According to the sources here the report clearly admitted that the stock of liquid oxygen had been alarmingly low for the past couple of days before the tragedy.
 
It said that senior officials of the hospital should have made arrangements to ensure adequate supply of the life saving gas before leaving the premises.
 
The report also said that there was a complete lack of coordination between the doctors of different departments, which impacted efforts to tackle the crisis.
 
The report has also apprehended financial irregularities in the purchase of oxygen gas and recommended a high level inquiry into the matter.
 
30 children, mostly new born, had died allegedly owing to shortage of oxygen at the hospital in a period of 36-hours between Thursday and Friday.
 
UP government has suspended Dr. Mishra and shunted out the in-charge of the Encephalitis ward Dr. Kafeel Khan on charges of laxity. A high level probe was also ordered into the tragedy.
 
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited the hospital after the deaths, rejected charges that lack of oxygen had caused death of the children. He attributed the deaths to Encephalitis.