Don't politicise deaths of infants: Gehlot

As the death toll of new-born infants at Kota’s JK Lone Hospital (251 km from Jaipur) touched 100, the BJP and BSP chief Mayawati accused the state government of being insensitive.

At least nine infants died in the last two days of December at the government-run JK Lon hospital in Kota. The number of kids’ deaths in December has reached 100,” the hospital superintendent, Dr Suresh Dulara, confirmed. Reacting to the reports the death of the babies has triggered criticism from the BJP and Mayawati who called Cogress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot insensitive.

Referring to Priyanka Vadra and Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati said that woman general secretary of the Congress should visit Kota to meet the mothers who lost their children instead of holding meetings with families of victims in Uttar Pradesh which are of political interest.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said his government is sensitive to the deaths of the infants and that reducing the health of children and mothers is a top priority for the government. The CM appealed on Twitter not to politicise the issue. "I telephoned Central Health Minister @drharshvardhan ji and requested him to visit #Kota personally so that he can see the best of facilities and proper management by State Health Department and get himself apprised of the facts", Gehlot tweeted

"Harsh Vardhan ji is himself a doctor and if he visits the hospital in #Kota, it will also clarify the situation for people, who are giving reaction mischievously, knowingly, unknowingly and also innocently", CM said in another tweet.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has sought details of the deaths of children. The BJP had formed a panel earlier this week to look into the deaths. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is the MP from Kota, had expressed concern over the death of infants and urged the state government to act with sensitivity.

Hospital data

However, hospital superintendent claimed on Wednesday that the number of infant deaths at the hospital in 2019 was lower than 2018 and the lowest in last six years. According to data from Kota district collector Om Kasera and the hospital superintendent, the number of infant deaths at J K Lon Hospital has witnessed a constant decline since 2014 when 1,198 deaths were recorded, which was 7.6% of the 15,719 admitted, The percentage declined to 7.2% in 2015, 6.6% in 2016, 5.9% in 2017, 6.1% in 2018 and 5.7 %, the lowest, in 2019.