Yogi ji is doing politics & trying to mislead people: Dr Kafeel Khan on UP CM’s remark on Gorakhpur infant death ca… https://t.co/p4gtLWkqP0 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) 1535369915000

(With inputs from agencies)

NEW DELHI: A day after Adityanath termed the death of children in Gorakhpur's BRD hospital a result of institute's "internal politics", Dr Kafeel Khan today accused the Uttar Pradesh chief minister of "doing politics" and "misleading people", according to news agency ANI.Yesterday, the chief minister had refuted reports claiming that the infants had died due to lack of oxygen supply in the hospital."I asked people there what actually the matter was, and was told there was nothing as such...And if the deaths were due to the lack of oxygen, then children put on the ventilators would have been the first ones to die. I said there must definitely be something. From where were the figures coming? Then it emerged that it was internal politics," the UP chief minister said.Khan retorted by accusing Adityanath of trying to mislead the people."What CM has said is incorrect. Many new-borns also died in the incident, newborns don’t get Encephalitis. The supplier of oxygen had written to hospital authorities to clear his dues to continue oxygen supply," Khan was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.Yesterday, at the launch of a campaign related to the state nutrition mission programme here yesterday, Adityanath had said that initially when he heard of the deaths, he was reminded of an incident where a reporter wrote an incorrect news item was not allowed to enter the ward by hospital workers."Last year when I heard of the news, I thought a similar thing had happened. But when I saw that all news channels and media had made it an issue, I sent DG (Health) to Gorakhpur and a sought a report. I also sent my health minister and the minister for medical education and told them to submit a report," Adityanath said.Adityanath, who has represented Gorakhpur in Lok Sabha five times, said this was not enough and he decided to visit the hospital the very next day.Nearly 60 children, mostly infants, died at the hospital within a week in August 2017. There were allegations that the deaths occurred due to disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor. The state government denied that shortage of oxygen led to the deaths.In its report submitted on August 23, 2017, a committee under the then UP chief secretary Rajive Kumar probing the hospital tragedy had recommended initiating criminal action against the then principal of the BRD Medical College Dr Rajiv Mishra, HoD Anaesthesia Paediatric department Dr Satish Kumar and in-charge of 100-bed AES ward Dr Kafeel Khan and a firm Pushpa Sales.UP Chief Minister Adityanath had constituted the committee under the chief secretary on August 12, a day after deaths of children in the state-run hospital were reported.On August 24, 2017, an FIR was registered against nine persons, including Dr Mishra, in connection with the deaths of over 60 children there due to alleged lack of oxygen supply.The proprietors of M/s Pushpa Sales, the company responsible for the supply of liquid oxygen, were also named in the FIR. The FIR was filed under various sections of IPC relating to criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide and relevant provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act.