Amethi hospital licence row: SP MLA joins protest; BJP delegation meets victim's kin

Samajwadi Party MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh on Saturday briefly joined the ongoing protest of employees and staff of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital here against the suspension of its licence over the death of a woman due to alleged negligence in her treatment.

The MLA from Gauriganj along with several village heads and some supporters reached the spot and participated in the protest for about an hour.

The lawmaker told reporters that the action against the hospital has been taken out of 'malice' and that any medical facility or institution should be kept away from politics.

He said, "I condemn this action and I also declare that I will participate in their fight until the employees of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital do not get justice and the hospital is not unlocked."

The MLA met the district magistrate on Friday against suspension of the hospital licence and 'stopping of all services'.

During the meeting, Singh submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor in which he warned of starting a mass movement in the entire district if the hospital services are not restored within seven days.

Also on Saturday, BJP MP Varun Gandhi took a swipe at his own party's government in Uttar Pradesh over the suspension of the licence of the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, saying resentment against a 'name (naam)' should not spoil the 'work (kaam)' for lakhs of people.

The hospital is named after the father of Varun Gandhi.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by party leader and Amethi District Panchayat president Rajesh Agrahari visited Ram Shahpur village and met the family members of the woman who died at the hospital due to alleged negligence in treatment.

The district panchayat president handed over a cheque for Rs 1 lakh as relief to the family of Divya Shukla, the deceased patient, and said whatever happened to her is very sad and worrying. "Strict action should be taken against whoever is responsible for this," Agrahari said.

Following the death of the 22-year-old patient, the Uttar Pradesh health department suspended the hospital's licence last week and put a halt on its out-patient department and emergency services after a probe into the incident.

The hospital is run by the Delhi-based Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust.

Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Trust, which runs the Amethi hospital, while party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are its members.