Want to get compensation for 63 families whose kids died in Gorakhpur hospital: Dr Khan

Dr Kafeel Khan, out on bail in the Gorakhpur infants’ death case, said he wants to get compensation for families whose children died in the government hospital owing to lack of oxygen supply.

Dr Kafeel Khan, paediatrician who is currently out on bail in the Gorakhpur infants’ death case, said his aim is to secure compensation for the 63 families whose children died in the government hospital owing to the lack of oxygen supply.

Dr Kafeel Khan addresses journalists at Press Club on Monday. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

Khan, who was released on bail after spending eight months in prison, has blamed the state government for the deaths.

“The oxygen contractor was constantly writing to the state government to pay the dues but they deliberately did not do so. The state government officials literally massacred these children, and hence need to compensate their families,” alleged Khan.

Khan was speaking at an open debate, focused on the topic ‘India after 2014’, organised by Mumbai Congress.

Claiming that the victims’ families were living under fear, he said, “They are not ready to discuss this issue as there is an atmosphere of fear among them. They are terrified.”

“Instead of booking those who are guilty, the state has made us scapegoats. Our hospital staff worked continuously for 48 hours and were unable to save 63 of the 400 children,” he added.

Dr Khan was the nodal officer at the 100-bed acute encephalitis syndrome ward at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College.

Initially hailed as a hero for trying to save the admitted children, he was sacked following the death of 30 children on August 10 and 11 last year. The police arrested him in September. In April, he was granted bail by the Allahabad high court.

Khan is one of the nine accused in the case.

His brother, Kashif Jameel, was shot by unidentified people but survived the attack, this year.