In what seems to be a shocking rerun of Gorakhpur hospital tragedy in2017 where hundreds of infants died of encephalitis, death toll at Kota¡¯s J KLon Hospital?has crossed the 100-mark in the month of December. Reportssuggest at least nine more infants?died in the last two days.
The number of infant deaths in the same hospital in December 2018 was 77,the hospital authorities said.
¡°At least nine newborns and infants have died in J K Lon Hospital onDecember 30 and 31. The number of kids¡¯ deaths in December has reached 100,¡±the hospital superintendent, Dr Suresh Dulara told The Times of India.
He added, ¡°On December 30, four kids died and on December 31 five kidsdied. All of them died mainly due to low birth weight and birth weighthypothesis.¡±
On Tuesday, the Rajasthan government ordered hospitals attached tomedical colleges to check the functional status of all medical equipment andsend reports.
¡°Last week, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and health ministerRaghu Sharma had claimed that that most of the children who died were referredto the hospital in critical condition from nearby districts, including regionsof neighbouring Madhya Pradesh,¡± said the TOI report.
¡°At least 1,005 kids died in 2018 in the hospital, while 963 died in2019,¡± said Dulara.
Among the findings of the top child rights body?NCPCR?duringthe inspection of the hospital, revealed broken windows and pigs roaming insidethe hospital campus was a common sight.
A team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR) team visited the hospital after which its chairperson Priyank Kanoongoissued a show-cause notice to Vaibhav Galtiya,?Secretary of Medical EducationDepartment in Rajasthan government, and sought an action taken report from himon its findings.
"It is evident that there was no glass in windows panes, gates werebroken and as a result the admitted children were suffering from extremeweather conditions,"?Kanoongo said.
He addedthat the general maintenance and upkeep of the hospital is in the worstpossible condition.
"Pigswere found roaming inside the campus of the hospital," he said in thenotice.
The noticealso read that there is an acute shortage of staff in the hospital.
RajasthanChief Minister Ashok Gehlot has set up a high-level committee of expert doctorsand subject experts to inquire about the cause of deaths of new-borns andsubmit a report at the earlier to prevent such events in the future.