Gorakhpur tragedy: Hospital principal flouted rules while awarding oxygen supply contract
Documents accessed by Mail Today reveal that Rajeev Mishra, the principal of the Hospital where at least 30 children died due to alleged non-availability of oxygen, flouted rules while awarded supply contracts.
In Short
- Gas supply contract awarded to Imperial Gas Ltd on handwritten note.
- Principal Rajeev Mishra did not follow tender process to award contract.
- Imperial Gas is located around 350kms away from Gorakhpur.
A number of revelations in the Gorakhpur case show how corruption at the BRD Hospital was responsible for more than 30 deaths. Documents with Mail Today reveal Rajeev Mishra, the BRD Hospital principal, flouted rules to favour supply companies.
Permission for supplying medical gas to the hospital was approved on just a handwritten paper. The whole tender process was dumped to award contract to Imperial Gas Limited to supply oxygen to BRD Hospital.
This contract was awarded on a trial basis. The company is situated around 350 kilometers away from Gorakhpur and authorities awaited cylinders to arrive from such a long distance when children were awaiting death.
Oxygen cylinders were procured from Allahabad and Faizabad. Had oxygen been procured locally, the lives of 30 children could have been saved. Oxygen cylinders remained in transit as children died one after the other.
The director general, medical health, has reached the hospital to enquire into the incident of gross leniency in controlling the situation on the day of the tragedy. An enquiry committee has also been formed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath to look investigate the matter.
So far only BRD Medical College chief Rajeev Mishra and nodal officer and encephalitis ward in-charge Dr Kafeel Khan have been suspended for not performing duty during hours of crucial need and alleged corruption in procuring oxygen.
Families of victims have started to lose their patience. They have started crying foul. The father of a deceased kid has filed a police complaint against UP's Health minister Sidhartha Nath Singh, Medical Education minister Ashutosh Tondon and Principal Secretary of Health in Gorakhpur's Guleria police station.
The man named Rajbhar from Bihar's Gopalganj had admitted his child for treatment on August 10 at BRD Medical College. According to him, he lost his child as the oxygen supply was cut.
Rajbhar's complaint has been lodged with the police, although no FIR has been registered so far.
ALSO READ | Dr Kafeel Khan no hero? Allegations of stealing oxygen cylinders for his private clinic abound
ALSO READ | People of India stand shoulder to shoulder with Gorakhpur hospital tragedy victims: PM Modi
ALSO WATCH | Inside Gorakhpur's BRD hospital, the scene of a heartbreaking tragedy