RAIPUR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued a notice to the Chhattisgarh chief secretary seeking a detailed report over the death of four newborns at the government-run Ambedkar Hospital in Raipur allegedly due to disruption in the supply of oxygen.
The state has been asked to submit the report within four weeks. The Commission stated, “It seems that nothing has been learnt from the Gorakhpur tragedy where 60 children died of oxygen supply shortage. A death whether of an infant, child or of a grown up persons causes irrevocable loss to the families. Nothing can compensate the loss of a human life.”
Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur, where the incident occurred, is the biggest government health care facility in Chhattisgarh. The oxygen plant operator who was found drunk has been arrested by the police.
The Commission was of the view that suitable effective measures were required to address such problems. “There is a need for issuance of suitable instructions to all the government-run and private hospital to ensure that such lapses does not occur,” the human rights body suggested.
The state health department however had ruled out disruption of oxygen supply as the cause of death but admitted that the drop in oxygen pressure occured because of negligence by an oxygen supply operator who was found drunk on duty.