Bhopal/Rewa, Dec 15 (IANS) Following the alleged tragic death of a newborn child at Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital (SGMH) due to a fire incident in Rewa district on Sunday, Madhya Pradesh Congress led by state unit chief Jitu Patwari on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP government.

Congress alleged that negligence from the government resulted in the death of yet another newborn child at a government-run hospital; however, the government is shielding Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who is heading the health department of the state.

“After the Coldrif cough syrup took the lives of 26 children in Chhindwara and two children died at MY Hospital in Indore earlier, a newborn child was charred to death in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Rewa, the home district of Dy CM Rajendra Shukla and the government have maintained complete silence,” PCC chief Jitu Patwari said on Monday.

Expressing his shock over the tragic incident that occurred on Sunday afternoon, Patwari also targeted senior BJP leader and Sidhi Lok Sabha MP Rajesh Mishra, whose nephew Dr Rahul Mishra, is the superintendent of Sanjay Gandhi hospital, one of the biggest health institutions in Madhya Pradesh.

“BJP turned Madhya Pradesh’s health system into a joke. One after another incident is coming from different parts of the state, and every time the government only does that, it orders an inquiry into the matter. Why not CM Mohan Yadav remove Dy CM Rajendra Shukla from the cabinet?” Patwari asked.

According to information, the fire erupted in the gynaecology ward, with flames reported inside the operation theatre. Hospital authorities later acknowledged that the body of a newborn, delivered during a surgical procedure, was left inside the OT during the evacuation and was subsequently burnt in the blaze.

Hospital superintendent Rahul Mishra told IANS that the baby was stillborn during the operation. He informed that a separate fire had broken out in the OPD area around the same time, causing panic and prompting staff to evacuate patients on priority.

“In the process, the newborn’s body, which was kept inside the operation theatre, could not be removed and was severely damaged by the fire,” Dr Mishra told IANS on Monday.

Dy CM Rajendra Shukla, who was in Rewa on Sunday, stated that he wasn’t informed about the death of a newborn child in the tragic fire incident. He assured that a detailed investigation would be conducted and strict action would be taken against those found responsible.

Meanwhile, what came as more shocking, the SGMG, which is the biggest health institution in the Vindhya region and was established during the Congress government, does not have a valid Fire No Objection Certificate (NOC).

Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Sonawade said multiple notices had been issued to the hospital management for failing to meet fire safety norms, adding that similar lapses exist at other major hospitals in Rewa.

Following the incident, the health department has ordered an inquiry into the cause of the fire and the handling of the aftermath, as questions mount over accountability and patient safety in government hospitals.

–IANS

pd/uk