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Updated January 4th, 2020 at 14:47 IST

Kota: Another infant dies with death toll now at 107; Om Birla visits families

Another infant passed away on Saturday morning at the JK Lon Hospital in Kota, taking the death toll to 107. A special team reached the hospital on Saturday

Reported by: Devarshi mankad
Kota
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Another infant passed away on Saturday morning at the JK Lon Hospital in Kota, taking the death toll to 107. There has been an increase in the number of deaths in the state-run hospital even as the state government and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot have been called out multiple times over the callous approach in handling the situation.

READ: Trouble Mounts For Rajasthan Govt As NRHC Seeks Detailed Report On Kota Infant Deaths

Death toll increases

On Saturday morning, a Central government team comprising of doctors arrived at the hospital in order to assess the situation and advise the government and the hospital authorities. The team will comprise of experts from AIIMS, Jodhpur and health economists and will assess the infrastructural gaps and will come up with measures to be taken to prevent further deaths. 

Kota MP and Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla visited the family of one of the infants who had passed away. On January 2, Birla had tweeted that he had sent a letter to CM Gehlot asking him to take all the necessary action. The Speaker said that he had sent a leader to the Congress leader asking him to strengthen medical facilities.

Dr Harsh Vardhan, the Union Health Minister had written to the CM assuring him of help from the Centre and also asked him to take measures to prevent more deaths. In the letter, he wrote, "We are ready to provide any technical help or assistance. Let us ensure no child succumbs to preventable causes or due to lack of health system capacity."

READ: Kota Infant Deaths: Mayawati Slams CM Gehlot; Forewarns UP Govt With Gorakhpur's Example

According to Union Health ministry officials, a preliminary probe has suggested that over 70 per cent of important equipment, including infusion pumps, warmers, oxymeters, nebulisers, meant for newborns, were not in a working condition at the JK Lon hospital and there was a paucity of staff in the paediatrics department.

As per the statistics quoted by the state authorities, 963 children have died in the year 2019 at J K Lon government hospital while this figure was above 1000 in the preceding year.

On Friday, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to Chief Secretary of Rajasthan to submit a detailed report within 4 weeks about the steps taken to address the issue. "Ten out of hundred children died within 48 hours between December 23 and 24, 2019. Reportedly, over 50 percent of the gadgets installed in the hospital are defunct and the hospital is lacking cleanliness and basic infrastructure including oxygen supply in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)," the Commission said. 

READ: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Writes To Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot Over Kota Infant Deaths

READ: Kota Infant Deaths: Swara Bhasker, Anurag Kashyap & Others Lash Out; Question Ashok Gehlot

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Published January 4th, 2020 at 14:47 IST

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