Kota infants death: Centre sends multi-disciplinary team of top pediatricians

The central team will visit JK Lone Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from January 3, 2020 and submit the detailed report.

New Delhi: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday (January 2) said that the Centre is sending a multi-disciplinary expert team of top paediatricians to Kota for gap analysis and ascertaining quick measures in the wake of 103 deaths of children at a hospital in the city.

Harsh Vardhan said, “I have spoken to Shri Ashok Gehlotji, Chief Minister of Rajasthan today and assured him of all possible support to prevent further deaths in the Kota tragedy matter. A multi-disciplinary team of experts including top paediatricians is being sent by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare to support the State government for gap analysis & quick measures to be taken. The team will reach Kota tomorrow”. Dr Harsh Vardhan said this through a statement.

The high-level team includes 1-Dr Kuldeep Singh, Head of Paediatrics and Dean Academies, AIIMS Jodhpur; 2-Dr Deepak Saxena, Senior Regional Director, Rajasthan, H&FW, GOI; 3-Dr Arun Singh, Prof of Neonatology, AIIMS, Jodhpur; and 4- Dr Himanshu Bhushan, Adviser, NHSRC, MOHFW.

The team of experts along with carrying out join gap analysis along with the state government in terms of clinical protocols, service delivery, manpower availability and equipments for maternal, newborn and paediatric care services in the Medical College Kota, Rajasthan; and will develop a joint action plan based on gap analysis for providing required technical and financial support to Kota Medical College through National Health Mission and State Medical Education Department, the statement said.

The team members will visit JK Lone Hospital and Medical College, Kota along with state government officials from January 3, 2020 and submit the detailed report.

Notably, three more children died in the JK Lon hospital in Rajasthan`s Kota district on the first two days of the new year, taking the death toll to 103 in the past over 30 days. All three children died during the treatment. While one was admitted due to drastic weight loss, the other two were transferred from another hospital. 

A three-member state government committee of doctors was sent to investigate the matter on December 23 and 24. The committee found that the hospital is short of beds and requires improvement. The committee, however, gave a clean chit to doctors for any lapses over the death of children admitted there. 

(With Agency Inputs)