Amid uproar over deaths of children in Rajasthan hospital, Sonia seeks explanation from Gehlot

New Delhi: Amid the uproar over the deaths of children in a hospital in Rajasthan’s Kota district, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi summoned party in-charge in the state Avinash Pande on Thursday, and also sought an explanation from Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Pande met Sonia Gandhi and briefed her about the situation in Kota. An upset Gandhi has asked why no steps were taken when the children were dying.

After meeting Sonia, Pande said: “Sonia ji wanted to know the reasons of the deaths. It is a very sad situation and the Chief Minister has been asked to act on the report. The BJP allegation is untrue as the inquiry is on and those responsible will be punished.”

Facing criticism from various quarters Rajasthan Chief Minister Gehlot tweeted on Thursday: “I welcome specialist delegation of Central government and the state is committed to make Rajasthan ‘Nirogi’. The government is sensitive towards the death of the children and there should be no politics into it, and in Kota the mortality rate has come down.”

स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं में और सुधार के लिए भारत सरकार के विशेषज्ञ दल का भी स्वागत है। हम उनसे विचार विमर्श और सहयोग से प्रदेश में चिकित्सा सेवाओं में इम्प्रूवमेंट के लिये तैयार हैं। #NirogiRajasthan हमारी प्राथमिकता है।
मीडिया किसी भी दबाव में आये बिना तथ्य प्रस्तुत करे, स्वागत है।
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— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 2, 2020

Gehlot also said that when he was in power in 2011, he had got the ICU unit installed in the hospital.

राजस्थान में सर्वप्रथम बच्चों के ICU की स्थापना हमारी सरकार ने 2003 में की थी। कोटा में भी बच्चों के ICU की स्थापना हमने 2011 में की थी।
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— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 2, 2020

Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma in his defence said that the children brought to the hospital were in critical condition and despite efforts they could not be saved while those who were less critical were saved.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has attacked Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Mayawati said: “It is very sad that the Congress General Secretary is keeping mum on the deaths of 100 children in the Kota hospital. It would have been better if like Uttar Pradesh, she would have met the mothers of the children who have died in the hospital, due to the apathy of the government of her party in the state.

2. किन्तु उससे भी ज्यादा अति दुःखद है कि कांग्रेस पार्टी के शीर्ष नेतृत्व व खासकर महिला महासचिव की इस मामले में चुप्पी साधे रखना। अच्छा होता कि वह यू.पी. की तरह उन गरीब पीड़ित माओं से भी जाकर मिलती, जिनकी गोद केवल उनकी पार्टी की सरकार की लापरवाही आदि के कारण उजड़ गई हैं।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) January 2, 2020

Mayawati further said that the attitude of the Gehlot government in Rajasthan was condemnable as it has mismanaged the situation, causing the death of 100 children in Kota, and still remains irresponsible and unsympathetic to the situation.

Published on: Jan 2, 2020 at 15:51 IST

(The headline of the story has been changed by EP Web Desk)

By IANS