50% Gorakhpur’s BRD deaths in neonatal wards, says expert

Dr RN Singh said 50% of deaths at the BRD Medical College occurred in the neonatal wards alone where newborn babies between 1-28 days undergo treatment.

Gorakhpur-based child specialist Dr RN Singh said 50% of deaths at the BRD Medical College occurred in the neonatal wards alone where newborn babies between 1-28 days undergo treatment. Such deaths were also common at Lucknow’s King George’s Medical University (KGMU), Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) and other institutes as the mortality rate of underweight, malnourished children was high in the country, he said.

“Efforts should be made to ensure institutional deliveries took place under the government-run programmes.”

He noted that many births took place at home in the rural areas in extremely unhygienic conditions. As a result, those children born in such conditions were more prone to sepsis, hypoxia and other complications which lowered their chances of survival compared to children born in government hospitals, he said.

To stop this, efforts should be made to ensure institutional deliveries took place under the government-run programmes like Mission Indradhanush and pregnant women should take a nutritious diet, he said.

Dr RN Singh anticipated the death toll will rise in September due to heavy rain and flood.

He said the deaths were highlighted because Gorakhpur was the hometown of chief minister Yogi Adityanath .He appealed to the political parties not to politicise the deaths .