Oxygen shortage led to Gorakhpur deaths: doc

The ‘hero’ turned ‘villain’ in-charge of the Encephalitis Ward at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, where 30 children had died within a span of 36-hours a few days ago because of shortage of oxygen, has come out with his own account of the horrifying nights, when death staked the ward.

 Dr. Kafeel Khan, who was suspended on charges of laxity and later booked, revealed that he had informed all senior officials including, district magistrate and chief medical officer of Gorakhpur and the health ministry and ‘’begged’’ for oxygen cylinders on the night of August 10.

 “I kept begging for cylinders... I told them children were dying... give some cylinders,’’ Kafeel said in a video posted on the social networking sites on Friday.

 He claimed that no help came from the officials. “The district knew at noon that oxygen cylinders had run out of stock... the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) gave some oxygen cylinders,’’ the suspended doctor said. He also claimed that many senior officials did not even pick up his telephone, when he tried to contact them the next morning.  

Kafeel said that the children had died owing to shortage of the life saving gas. Kafeel had initially been hailed as a ‘hero’ after media reports said that he had arranged cylinders on his own and saved lives of many children.

The authorities later held him guilty for laxity and said that he had failed to inform them on time about the shortage.

The two official probes into the tragedy, though had admitted disruption in the supply of oxygen, maintained that it had not caused children’s death. 

The reports, however, pointed out serious irregularities and laxity on he part of the college authorities and doctors and recommended stern action against them. 

Thirty children, mostly newborn, had died reportedly owing to shortage of oxygen at the hospital in a period of 36-hours on August 10 and 11.

As many as six medical college officials, including its principal, were suspended. FIRs have also been lodged against six officials in this connection.