Gorakhpur tragedy: Deaths at BRD hospital fell to 200 in 2017 from 292 in 2016, finds doctors' panel

New Delhi: The number of children who died at the BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur, was lesser in 2017 than it was in 2016, a panel of doctors from Delhi has said in its interim report. The panel had gone to Gorakhpur to look into the deaths of the children and has submitted the report to the Additional Health Secretary in the central government. Nearly 70 children, including infants, have died at the hospital since 7 August due to various causes including encephalitis. Many of these deaths were alleged to have been caused by shortage of oxygen, a claim dismissed by the Uttar Pradesh government. [caption id=“attachment_3935335” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of a doctor examining a child at the BRD hospital in Gorakhpur. PTI[/caption] “We have submitted an interim report to the Additional Health Secretary where we have mentioned that the deaths that happened this year were lesser than the previous year in the same period. We will submit our final report after analysing the entire data sought from the hospital administration,” one the doctors on the panel said. The team said that 200 deaths were reported at the state-run hospital in July 2017 as compared to 292 deaths during the same period in 2016. The three-member panel comprises Harish Chailani, HOD of paediatrics at the Safdarjung Hospital, Sushma Nangia, HOD of neo-natal department at the Lady Hardinge Hospital and MK Agarwal, deputy commissioner of National Immunisation Programme.