'Encephalitis bimaari 1978 se hai, purvi UP ka masoom asamay agar kaal ke gaal mein sama rha h iske peeche gandagi, khule mein shauch hai'
After close to 63 children died at BRD Hospital in Gorakhpur due to an alleged oxygen shortage, state CM Yogi Adityanath has broken his silence on the matter, saying "Encephalitis is a challenge" and that the disease had been plaguing the state since 1978.
"Encephalitis bimaari 1978 se hai, purvi UP ka masoom asamay agar kaal ke gaal mein sama rha h iske peeche gandagi, khule mein shauch hai (Encephalitis has been around since 1978, children from northern Uttar Pradesh are now suffering misfortune due to it. Dirt and open defecation are the reasons for this tragedy)," said Adityanath.
"Ek sankat hai, ek challenge hai hum sab ke saamne aur uska samaadhaan bhi nikla hai (There is a predicament, a challenge in front of us and we are going to find a way out)," he added.
Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh had said that according to reports from the paediatric department of the college, 60 children died due to various diseases since August 7.
Though the Gorakhpur district magistrate had not given any reason for the deaths, an official here had said that according to the Gorakhpur superintendent of police (SP), 21 children died due to oxygen supply shortage.
"According to the Gorakhpur SP, 21 children died due to shortage of supply of liquid oxygen in BRD Medical College. Senior officers are at the spot. Exact cause is being verified by the civil administration," the official, who did not to be identified, had said.
The Uttar Pradesh government said today that those found guilty in the "tragic and painful" incident would face "stringent action".
With Agency Inputs