In Kota, infant death toll touches 107 as central team begins probe

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has defended his government saying the number of deaths at the hospital have been less as compared to the earlier BJP government.

The death toll of infants at the JK Lon Hospital in Kota touched 107 on Saturday as a team from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare began an investigation into the deaths.

Kota: Sick children in the laps of their mothers take treatments at the JK Lon hospital. (PTI)

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has defended his government saying the number of deaths at the hospital have been less as compared to the earlier BJP government. He said the government had acted quickly and initiated measures after the infant deaths.

However, as the deaths continued and the issue became an embarrassment for the Congress government, party chief Sonia Gandhi sought an explanation from Gehlot and asked state in-charge Avinash Pande to discuss the issue. She also asked state Congress chief Sachin Pilot to visit the hospital and assess the situation.

Lok Sabha Speaker and Kota MP Om Birla on Saturday met the aggrieved families of deceased infants in Kota and offered help. Addressing the media, Birla said, “The death of these infants is a serious issue and I have written two letters to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for taking steps to check further deaths. I will stand with the Rajasthan government to prevent further deaths of infants and will take efforts needed,” he said.

A team of experts and pediatricians including Dr Kuldeep Singh, Head of Pediatrics and Dean Academics, AIIMS Jodhpur, Dr Deepak Saxena, Senior Regional Director, Rajasthan, H&FW, GOI, Dr Arun Singh, Professor of Neonatology, AIIMS Jodhpur and Dr Himanshu Bhushan Advisor, NHSRC, MOHFW visited the hospital and sought information about the hospital and infant deaths.

Chief Medical and Health Officer, Kota, Dr BS Tanwar said that the team will investigate the reasons behind the infant deaths after interacting with the hospital authorities and will also track the private hospitals and other government health centers from where such infants were referred.

“The central team will give its report to the GOI and also Rajasthan government,” he said. He said that the team will stay in Kota for 2 days.

In the wake of the deaths, the hospital has taken some remedial measures, he added.

Superintendent of JK Lon Hospital, Dr Suresh Chand Dulara said, most of the deceased infants were critically ill and were either referred from other districts or were born in other hospitals.

JK Lon Hospital is the biggest child and mother care hospital of Kota division where infants in critical condition are referred from districts of Bundi, Baran, Jhalawar, Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh and several districts of MP, so the chances of survival is less hence mortality is more, he said.

He said maintenance and repair work including painting of the hospital building has started and window panes have been put in windows in the wards. Maintenance of equipment has also been undertaken and new equipment and staff are being brought in.

In December, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the state government and sought an action taken report on the incidents.