Gorakhpur’s BRD deaths: Things would have been different if victims were children of VIPs, says distraught father
“These are children of poor parents who eke out a living by pulling rickshaw, working as mason or growing crops in small fields. Had the victims been rich or belonged to families of MLAs, MPs or ministers the condition would have been different there. No oxygen crisis would have taken place and no laxity would have been observed.”
Mohammad Zahid who lost his seven-year-old daughter Khushi during the oxygen crisis at BRD Medical College on August 11, said the deaths did not bother the government as 99% of the victims were poor.
“These are children of poor parents who eke out a living by pulling rickshaw, working as mason or growing crops in small fields. Had the victims been rich or belonged to families of MLAs, MPs or ministers the condition would have been different there. No oxygen crisis would have taken place and no laxity would have been observed,” Zahid said, holding back his tears.
Zahid, a daily wager, had saved every single rupee he earned for the treatment of his daughter who often fell ill.
He took Khushi to the medical college on August 10 and was asked to pump oxygen into her, using Ambubags. The doctors pronounced her dead on August 11 evening.
Read more: Death too frequent a visitor at Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College
Swatantra Kumar, PhD scholar and IAS aspirant, said the fact that deaths occurred due to brain fever in East up could not be denied but sheer laxity by hospital officials could not be overlooked either.
“It’s disappointing that despite strict action taken by the government after the August 10 mishap, such incidents recur. Those responsible are being punished but no lesson is learnt by officials.”