In a major public health system tragedy in Congress-ruled Rajasthan, more than 100 children had died in JK Lon Hospital, Kota last month. While Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had stoked a controversy by trivialising the incident, now the Rajasthan health minister Raghu Sharma has been seen dodging questions asked to him on the incident in a debate.
The news anchor on ABP News questions the Congress minister on the Rajasthan government’s apathy towards the family of the children who died in the government hospital last month. He asked as to why the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan is not meeting the family’s of the children who died and why aren’t they paying any compensation to them. He questions why the Congress government has remained silent over the deaths of 100 children in government-run hospital in Kota, Rajasthan.
On one instance when the Health Minister tries to pin the blame on the previous BJP government, the anchor cuts him short by saying whatever happened during the previous government’s regime is passed, now why doesn’t his government show some affinity.
To this, the minister is heard saying: “mein kuch nahi keh sakta” (I cannot comment in this regard), before taking out the microphone and walking away.
The news anchor is seen repeatedly coaxing the minister to answer. He says that the ministry is answerable and cannot shrug off their responsibility. He says that these questions will be asked repeatedly unless the public does not get a satisfactory answer to their queries over the Congress Government’s apathy towards the case but the minister refuses to take any question.
The news anchor reminds the minister that he is the health minister of Rajasthan and it is his moral responsibility to answer to all the public grievances, but since Raghu Sharma, takes off the microphone he remained oblivious to what was being asked to him.
SHAMELESS Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma has No Answer for 100 infant deaths in #Kota. HEARTLESS INCONSIDERATE Congress Govt is neither consoling parents Nor ready to pay compensation. Says ‘Main Kuch Nahi Keh Sakta’ & Walks out #KotaChildDeaths #KotaTragedy #KotaKeDoshi pic.twitter.com/7Ztwm68TJa
— Rosy (@rose_k01) January 2, 2020
This apathetic response coming from the health minister did not go done well with people on Twitter who blamed the Congress ecosystem for the insensitivity shown by its ministers.
As 9 more infants died in the last two days of December in government-run JK Lon Hospital, the total count reached 100. Refusing to take responsibility, the hospital superintendent had claimed that the deaths of these newborns are due to the low weight at birth. The hospital had given a clean chit to itself by forming a committee to investigate the deaths, which has now ruled out any negligence saying resources and equipment were functioning properly.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot while speaking to media on the death of children in the state had also said that children die, there is nothing new in it. “Poore pradesh ke andar, har hospital ke andar, 3-4-5 mautein hoti hai. Prati din. Koi nayi baat nahin hai” (In the entire state, in all hospitals, 3-4-5 children die every day. There is nothing new in it), said the CM.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had also taken to Twitter to call out Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi’s hypocrisy over silence over the deaths of these 100 children in Congress-ruled Rajasthan.
Following the deaths of the children, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had issued a show-cause notice to the Chief Medical And Health Officer of Kota District, BS Tanwar, to look into these deaths. The NCPCR also observed that pigs were found roaming inside the campus.
The Commission has directed Tanwar to appear in person on January 3 to explain reasons for not sharing the report on action taken with the Commission.
