India's Gorakhpur hospital: Doctor cleared of children's deaths demands apology Published duration 27 September 2019

image copyright Getty Images

An Indian doctor blamed for the deaths of dozens of children is demanding an apology from the government after he was cleared by an official probe.

Dr Kafeel Khan was arrested for culpable homicide after more than 100 children died in August 2017 in a public hospital in Uttar Pradesh state.

He was granted bail last April, but a criminal case against him continues.

However, it has now emerged a 15-page government report has cleared him of any negligence.

What will happen with the criminal case is unclear.

What happened at the hospital?

Dr Khan was working at the Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur city when the deaths occurred over several nights in August 2017.

Many of the victims were infants who were in the neonatal unit or being treated for encephalitis, a deadly inflammation of the brain that has been rampant in the region for decades.

It was widely reported that the deaths at were the result of oxygen supply being cut over unpaid bills.

Officials had denied this and said the children had been very ill at the time of their admission.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Many of the victims were suffering from encephalitis

But in the face of growing outrage, the government suspended the principal of the medical college affiliated to the hospital for delaying payment to the oxygen suppliers, which said the hospital owed them more than 6m rupees ($93,465; £72,510).

What happened to Dr Khan?

The state government also blamed Dr Khan, who they alleged did not take prompt action. They added that he should have been aware of any shortages in supply.

The junior doctor had gone viral in the days after the deaths, when his video testimony contradicted the government's assertions.

In the video, he describes begging nearby hospitals for oxygen canisters after learning that his hospital's central supply had been exhausted.

"I brought 250 cylinders in 24 hours! 250! I don't know how many children lived or died but I did my level best," he said.

Dr Khan was suspended and later arrested, along with eight others. He spent seven months in jail, awaiting trial on charges of attempting to commit culpable homicide, a criminal breach of trust by a public servant and criminal conspiracy.

image copyright Getty Images image caption It was widely reported that the deaths were caused by oxygen supply being cut over unpaid bills

But now a 15-page official report - the result of a probe ordered by the government - has said Dr Khan is not guilty of medical negligence.

It also notes he was not in-charge of the hospital ward where most of the deaths occurred.

The government is yet to respond to the findings of the report, but Dr Khan has taken to Twitter to call for an apology, as well as compensation for the victims.