HC seeks action plan from Centre, UP on encephalitis tackling in Gorakhpur

The Allahabad high court on Monday asked the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government to file a report by next month on how they were planning to tackle the menace of encephalitis disease in Gorakhpur.

The bench comprising chief justice DB Bhosale and justice Yashwant Varma asked the governments to file their action plans by October 6, the next date of hearing in the cases pertaining to BRD Medical College deaths last month.

The court was hearing several PILs which sought a judicial inquiry into the incident and speedy conviction of the guilty.

Over 30 children had died at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur — which is represented by chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Lok Sabha — in 48 hours (August 9-11) allegedly due to lack of oxygen supply.

Petitioners have alleged negligence by the doctors, who have been accused of not clearing long-pending dues to the oxygen supplier. The petitioners also claimed that though children die of Japanese encephalitis in Gorakhpur every year, no concrete step has been taken to ensure its prevention.

The court had earlier directed the member-secretary of the state legal services authority to visit the BRD Medical College hospital and prepare a detailed report on infrastructure and medical facilities available for patients in the hospital along with photographs of various wards.

Earlier, a probe committee constituted by the state government also submitted its report in a sealed cover.