LUCKNOW/GORAKHPUR: An RTI response has revealed that there was, in fact, shortage of oxygen cylinders at the BRD medical college, Gorakhpur, on August 11, 2017, the day when about 30 children died in the encephalitis and neo-natal wards of the hospital. The response states that total 10 cylinders had been arranged on August 11 from other than authorized suppliers.
Lucknow-based RTI activist Sanjay Sharma had in his August 14, 2017 query sought information from state government on nine points pertaining to the deaths at BRD medical college.
“I received the reply in July this year. But no information has been provided on seven points, and it has been stated that the matter is pending in court,” said Sharma.
In response to his query seeking day-wise number of oxygen cylinders provided by suppliers other than the authorised ones, between August 1 and August 14, 2017, the public information officer (PIO) of the college stated that six cylinders were provided by Anandlok nursing home, Goraknath, Gorakhpur and four by Dr Kafeel Khan, then nodal officer of hospital, on August 11. The response vindicates the stand of Dr Kafeel who had been in the eye of storm after he said that there was shortage of oxygen because BRD administration did not make payments to authorised supplier.
No response has been provided to questions like details of patients who died between August 1 and August 14, 2017, the cause of their death and certified copies of their postmortem report; the supplier companies found guilty in probe; rate at which authorised suppliers provided cylinder; certified copy of magisterial probe report and certified copy of then principal’s suspension order.
