‘It’s A Massacre’: 60 Children Die At India Hospital In 5 Days Due To Reported Lack Of Oxygen Over Unpaid Bill
Complete and total desperation has arrived in the Gorakhpur district in India as at least 60 children have died in a hospital in the last five days with many stating it is due to lack of oxygen.
The government facility that the children were in is called Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur district in Uttar Pradesh state. The northern India location is ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, and authorities are denying reports that the deaths are due to lack of oxygen, according to MSN.
Different reports have stated conflicting numbers as to the number of children who have died in the hospital, but they all seem to lead to more than 60. According to The Washington Post, at least 30 children died on Thursday night and on Friday morning alone.
Reportedly, the hospital’s supply of liquid oxygen was disrupted over an unpaid bill and it was shut off to the patients. From there, witnesses stated that there was complete chaos as medical professionals attempted to use manually powered oxygen bags and save as many of the patients as they could.
Anil Kumar, Gorakhpur’s divisional commissioner, said that the deaths have been confirmed, but an investigation is ongoing into how they died.
“We have launched an inquiry and a preliminary report should be out today. Yes, sixty patients have died at the hospital in the last five days but we don’t think it’s linked to reports of oxygen shortage.”
Meanwhile, social media is spreading the word and anger is building up against the Indian government.
#India #hospital: 60 #children die in Uttar Pradesh – BBC News https://t.co/OSExXONBK0 How can this happen?
— MRK_290 (@MRK_290) August 12, 2017
62 mothers trusted hospital to care for their child. 62 children died. 62 desperate mothers want answers. Does India care? #GorakhpurTragedy
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) August 12, 2017
It has been confirmed that all 60 deaths in the five days did occur in the pediatric ward of the hospital in a five-day span beginning on Monday of this week. As of this writing, two more children have died on Saturday to up the total to 62.
It is expected that number will continue to rise.
30 kids died in hospital without oxygen. This is not a tragedy. It’s a massacre. Is this what 70 years of freedom means for our children?
— Kailash Satyarthi (@k_satyarthi) August 11, 2017
As the oxygen supply was shut off in the hospital, family members and medical staff attempted to do as much as possible to help the patients. Fifty-two reserve oxygen cylinders were “pressed into service” and then, 90 jumbo oxygen cylinders were pressed into service to help maintain the supply during the day on Friday.
Around 1 a.m., the hospital had officially run out of oxygen and as reported by MSN, “All hell broke loose.”
Despite the efforts and frantic methods to help patients with manual breathing bags, “several patients” could not take it and began to collapse due to lack of oxygen.
“No excuse for what’s happened”
India anger as 30 children died in two days in hospital https://t.co/gaSo36E78z #GorakhpurTragedy
— Ajay Tripathi (@iAjayTripathi) August 12, 2017
Federal officials have stated that many of those who come into the India hospital in the Gorakhpur district are seriously ill and many may have died from “natural causes.” Most of the parents of those 62 children are failing to believe that as so many deaths happened in such a short period of time. Whether it was the dwindling oxygen supply or not, this tragic situation is only getting worse by the minute and nothing can make it better for those who have lost someone.
[Featured Image by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images]
