At Gorakhpur hospital, 69 children dead in four days

According to hospital records, the number of deaths varied from 12 to 20 each day. According to records, 12 children died on October 7, 20 on October 8, 18 died on October 9, and 19 deaths were reported on October 10. (Representational photo)

About two months after deaths of children at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur created a national uproar, leading to the arrest of the institution’s principal, a doctor and other staff, the number of deaths at the hospital continues to remain high.

Nineteen children have died in the hospital in the last 24 hours — 13 neonatal (newborn) deaths, and six suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), according to BRD Medical College principal P K Singh.

Sixty-nine deaths have been reported in the hospital in the four days since October 7.

In the second week of August, 60 deaths were reported over five days. “Most of these deaths are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) due to various reasons — such as pneumonia, septicemia, asphyxia, etc,” college principal Singh said.

According to hospital records, the number of deaths varied from 12 to 20 each day. According to records, 12 children died on October 7, 20 on October 8, 18 died on October 9, and 19 deaths were reported on October 10.

Asked about these deaths, Singh maintained, “Most of these deaths are in NICU due to various medical reasons, and the rest are due to AES.”