Gorakhpur: 69 more children die at BRD hospital in last 4 days

Lucknow: Barely two months after children's death at BRD Medical College at Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur created a national uproar, 69 new deaths have taken place at the hospital in the last four days, said a reports.

The number of deaths varies from 12 to 20 each day.

Twelve children died on October 7, twenty on October 8, eighteen died on October 9, and nineteen deaths were reported on October 10.

The 19 children who have died in the last 24 hours include 13 newborns, and six others suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, BRD Medical College principal PK Singh told The Indian Express.

The principal said that most of the deaths in the neonatal wing were because of illnesses like pneumonia, septicemia and asphyxia. "There are 118 children admitted to NICU at present, of which 13 died due to different medical reasons," Singh was quoted as saying. 

The principal said that of the 333 patients admitted to the pediatric ward, 109 children were suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome. He added that a large number of newborns in critical condition had come to the hospital from far-off places.

A total of 60 deaths occurred at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in five days - from August 7 to August 11.

Media reports and accounts of a few parents had held the disruption in oxygen supply accountable for the deaths.

Altogether 69 deaths have been reported at the hospital since October 7. 

A total of 296 children have died in the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here in the month of August alone. Officials said that 1,470 patients have been admitted to the BRD Medical College since January this year, adding that a total of 310 have died. 

The BRD Medical College hit the headlines earlier in August when 63 children, including infants, died within a span of one week due to disruption of oxygen supply by the vendor.